Local Cues Research Articles

Cep131-Cep162 and Cby-Fam92 complexes cooperatively maintain Cep290 at the basal body and contribute to ciliogenesis initiation.

Cilia play critical roles in cell signal transduction and organ development. Defects in cilia function result in a variety of genetic disorders. Cep290 is an evolutionarily conserved ciliopathy protein that bridges the ciliary membrane and axoneme at the basal body (BB) and plays critical roles in the initiation of ciliogenesis and TZ assembly. How Cep290 is maintained at BB and whether axonemal and ciliary membrane localized cues converge to determine the localization of Cep290 remain unknown. Here, we report that the Cep131-Cep162 module near the axoneme and the Cby-Fam92 module close to the membrane synergistically control the BB localization of Cep290 and the subsequent initiation of ciliogenesis in Drosophila. Concurrent deletion of any protein of the Cep131-Cep162 module and of the Cby-Fam92 module leads to a complete loss of Cep290 from BB and blocks ciliogenesis at its initiation stage. Our results reveal that the first step of ciliogenesis strictly depends on cooperative and retroactive interactions between Cep131-Cep162, Cby-Fam92 and Cep290, which may contribute to the complex pathogenesis of Cep290-related ciliopathies.

Pre-saccadic shifts of attention in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Pathophysiological theories of schizophrenia (SZ) symptoms posit an abnormality in using predictions to guide behavior. One such prediction is based on imminent movements, via corollary discharge signals (CD) that relay information about planned movement kinematics to sensory brain regions. Empirical evidence suggests a reduced influence of sensorimotor predictions in individuals with SZ within multiple sensory systems, including in the visual system. One function of CD in the visual system is to selectively enhance visual sensitivity at the location of planned eye movements (pre-saccadic attention), thus enabling a prediction of the to-be-foveated stimulus. We expected pre-saccadic attention shifts to be less pronounced in individuals with SZ than in healthy controls (HC), resulting in unexpected sensory consequences of eye movements, which may relate to symptoms than can be explained in the context of altered allocation of attention. We examined this question by testing 30 SZ and 30 HC on a pre-saccadic attention task. On each trial participants made a saccade to a cued location in an array of four stimuli. A discrimination target that was either congruent or incongruent with the cued location was briefly presented after the cue, during saccade preparation. Pre-saccadic attention was quantified by comparing accuracy on congruent trials to incongruent trials within the interval preceding the saccade. Although SZs were less accurate overall, the magnitude of the pre-saccadic attention effect generally did not differ across groups nor show a convincing relationship with symptom severity. We did, however, observe that SZ had reduced pre-saccadic attention effects when the discrimination target (probe) was presented at early stages of saccade planning, when pre-saccadic attention effects first emerged in HC. These findings suggest generally intact pre-saccadic shifts of attention in SZ, albeit slightly delayed. Results contribute to our understanding of altered sensory predictions in people with schizophrenia.

The frequency and level dependence of across-frequency binaural interference for interaural time differences

Binaural hearing enables listeners to localize sound in the horizontal plane, even when dealing with intricate speech-like signals characterized by distributed energy across a broad range of frequencies and varying sound pressure levels. Low-frequency interaural time differences (ITDs) are the most important cue for human horizontal-plane sound localization. Across-frequency binaural interference tasks (where changes in ITD discrimination thresholds of a target signal are measured in the presence of a remote interferer signal) can be used to measure how a listener weighs different frequency regions for ITD. While it is known that low-frequency (0.5 kHz) targets experience less binaural interference from higher-frequency (4 kHz) interferers than vice versa, the impact of the relative level of the two signals has remained mostly unexplored. ITD discrimination thresholds were measured in normal-hearing listeners with target/interferer intensities of 35, 55, and 75 dB-A and frequencies of 0.5, 4, and 8 kHz. Besides the expected frequency effects, data to date show binaural interference increases with increasing interferer level. These results help better understand how sound level variation and more realistic complex sounds like speech are localized.

Relation between spatial release from informational masking and localization discrimination

Spatial release from masking (SRM) occurs when a signal of interest (target) and an interfering sound (masker) come from different locations in space. SRM and sound localization are assumed to share common mechanisms, but it is still unclear whether SRM actually depends on hearing the target and masker in different places, even in situations dominated by informational masking. The current study used a spatial rhythmic release from masking (RMR) task [J. Middlebrooks and Z. Onsan, JASA, 132, 3896–3911, 2012]. The target and masker were trains of non-simultaneous noise bursts; hearing the target temporal pattern relies on segregation from the masker, which is supported by spatial separation. Using a headphone simulation of space (HRTFs), the current study replicated key aspects of Middlebrooks and Onsan’s (2012) finding that RMR spatial thresholds were poorer for high-frequency than low-frequency bursts. We investigated whether this low/high frequency difference, and others created with degraded localization cues, were associated with variations in basic localization discrimination tasks using the same RMR stimuli. Data collection is ongoing, but preliminary results suggest a covariation of spatial release in the RMR task and sensitivity to change in spatial angle. [Work supported by NIDCD R01-01625.]

Piezo1 mechanosensing regulates integrin-dependent chemotactic migration in human T cells.

T cells are crucial for efficient antigen-specific immune responses and thus their migration within the body, to inflamed tissues from circulating blood or to secondary lymphoid organs, plays a very critical role. T cell extravasation in inflamed tissues depends on chemotactic cues and interaction between endothelial adhesion molecules and cellular integrins. A migrating T cell is expected to sense diverse external and membrane-intrinsic mechano-physical cues, but molecular mechanisms of such mechanosensing in cell migration are not established. We explored if the professional mechanosensor Piezo1 plays any role during integrin-dependent chemotaxis of human T cells. We found that deficiency of Piezo1 in human T cells interfered with integrin-dependent cellular motility on ICAM-1-coated surface. Piezo1 recruitment at the leading edge of moving T cells is dependent on and follows focal adhesion formation at the leading edge and local increase in membrane tension upon chemokine receptor activation. Piezo1 recruitment and activation, followed by calcium influx and calpain activation, in turn, are crucial for the integrin LFA1 (CD11a/CD18) recruitment at the leading edge of the chemotactic human T cells. Thus, we find that Piezo1 activation in response to local mechanical cues constitutes a membrane-intrinsic component of the 'outside-in' signaling in human T cells, migrating in response to chemokines, that mediates integrin recruitment to the leading edge.

Piezo1 mechanosensing regulates integrin-dependent chemotactic migration in human T cells

T cells are crucial for efficient antigen-specific immune responses and thus their migration within the body, to inflamed tissues from circulating blood or to secondary lymphoid organs, plays a very critical role. T cell extravasation in inflamed tissues depends on chemotactic cues and interaction between endothelial adhesion molecules and cellular integrins. A migrating T cell is expected to sense diverse external and membrane-intrinsic mechano-physical cues, but molecular mechanisms of such mechanosensing in cell migration are not established. We explored if the professional mechanosensor Piezo1 plays any role during integrin-dependent chemotaxis of human T cells. We found that deficiency of Piezo1 in human T cells interfered with integrin-dependent cellular motility on ICAM-1-coated surface. Piezo1 recruitment at the leading edge of moving T cells is dependent on and follows focal adhesion formation at the leading edge and local increase in membrane tension upon chemokine receptor activation. Piezo1 recruitment and activation, followed by calcium influx and calpain activation, in turn, are crucial for the integrin LFA1 (CD11a/CD18) recruitment at the leading edge of the chemotactic human T cells. Thus, we find that Piezo1 activation in response to local mechanical cues constitutes a membrane-intrinsic component of the ‘outside-in’ signaling in human T cells, migrating in response to chemokines, that mediates integrin recruitment to the leading edge.

The secretome of macrophages has a differential impact on spinal cord injury recovery according to the polarization protocol.

The inflammatory response after spinal cord injury (SCI) is an important contributor to secondary damage. Infiltrating macrophages can acquire a spectrum of activation states, however, the microenvironment at the SCI site favors macrophage polarization into a pro-inflammatory phenotype, which is one of the reasons why macrophage transplantation has failed. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic potential of the macrophage secretome for SCI recovery. We investigated the effect of the secretome in vitro using peripheral and CNS-derived neurons and human neural stem cells. Moreover, we perform a pre-clinical trial using a SCI compression mice model and analyzed the recovery of motor, sensory and autonomic functions. Instead of transplanting the cells, we injected the paracrine factors and extracellular vesicles that they secrete, avoiding the loss of the phenotype of the transplanted cells due to local environmental cues. We demonstrated that different macrophage phenotypes have a distinct effect on neuronal growth and survival, namely, the alternative activation with IL-10 and TGF-β1 (M(IL-10+TGF-β1)) promotes significant axonal regeneration. We also observed that systemic injection of soluble factors and extracellular vesicles derived from M(IL-10+TGF-β1) macrophages promotes significant functional recovery after compressive SCI and leads to higher survival of spinal cord neurons. Additionally, the M(IL-10+TGF-β1) secretome supported the recovery of bladder function and decreased microglial activation, astrogliosis and fibrotic scar in the spinal cord. Proteomic analysis of the M(IL-10+TGF-β1)-derived secretome identified clusters of proteins involved in axon extension, dendritic spine maintenance, cell polarity establishment, and regulation of astrocytic activation. Overall, our results demonstrated that macrophages-derived soluble factors and extracellular vesicles might be a promising therapy for SCI with possible clinical applications.

Landmarks, beacons, or panoramic views: What do pigeons attend to for guidance in familiar environments?

Birds and social insects represent excellent systems for understanding visually guided navigation. Both animal groups use surrounding visual cues for homing and foraging. Ants extract sufficient spatial information from panoramic views, which naturally embed all near and far spatial information, for successful homing. Although egocentric panoramic views allow for parsimonious explanations of navigational behaviors, this potential source of spatial information has been mostly neglected during studies of vertebrates. Here we investigate how distinct landmarks, a beacon, and panoramic views influence the reorientation behavior in pigeons (Columba livia). Pigeons were trained to search for a location characterized by a beacon and several distinct landmarks. Transformation tests manipulated aspects of the landmark configuration, allowing for a dissociation among navigational strategies. Quantitative image and path analyses provided support that the panoramic view was used by the pigeons. Although the results from some individuals support the use of beaconing, overall the pigeons relied predominantly on the panoramic view when spatial cues provided conflicting information regarding the goal location. Reorientation based on vector and bearing information derived from distinct landmarks as well as environmental geometry failed to account fully for the results. Thus, the results of our study support that pigeons can use panoramic views for reorientation in familiar environments. Given that the current model for landmark use by pigeons posits the use of different vectors from an object, a global panorama-matching strategy suggests a fundamental change in the theory of how pigeons use surrounding visual cues for localization.

Insights into the heterogeneity of iNKT cells: tissue-resident and circulating subsets shaped by local microenvironmental cues.

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a distinct subpopulation of innate-like T lymphocytes. They are characterized by semi-invariant T cell receptors (TCRs) that recognize both self and foreign lipid antigens presented by CD1d, a non-polymorphic MHC class I-like molecule. iNKT cells play a critical role in stimulating innate and adaptive immune responses, providing an effective defense against infections and cancers, while also contributing to chronic inflammation. The functions of iNKT cells are specific to their location, ranging from lymphoid to non-lymphoid tissues, such as the thymus, lung, liver, intestine, and adipose tissue. This review aims to provide insights into the heterogeneity of development and function in iNKT cells. First, we will review the expression of master transcription factors that define subsets of iNKT cells and their production of effector molecules such as cytokines and granzymes. In this article, we describe the gene expression profiles contributing to the kinetics, distribution, and cytotoxicity of iNKT cells across different tissue types. We also review the impact of cytokine production in distinct immune microenvironments on iNKT cell heterogeneity, highlighting a recently identified circulating iNKT cell subset. Additionally, we explore the potential of exploiting iNKT cell heterogeneity to create potent immunotherapies for human cancers in the future.

Effect of inter-aural temporal envelope differences on inter-aural time difference thresholds for amplitude modulated noise.

The inter-aural time difference (ITD) and inter-aural level difference (ILD) are important acoustic cues for horizontal localization and spatial release from masking. These cues are encoded based on inter-aural comparisons of tonotopically matched binaural inputs. Therefore, binaural coherence or the interaural spectro-temporal similarity is a pre-requisite for encoding ITD and ILD. The modulation depth of envelope is an important envelope characteristic that helps in encoding the envelope-ITD. However, inter-aural difference in modulation depth can result in reduced binaural coherence and poor representation of binaural cues as in the case with reverberation, noise and compression in cochlear implants and hearing aids. This study investigated the effect of inter-aural modulation depth difference on the ITD thresholds for an amplitude-modulated noise in normal hearing young adults. An amplitude modulated high pass filtered noise with varying modulation depth differences was presented sequentially through headphones. In one ear, the modulation depth was retained at 90% and in the other ear it varied from 90% to 50%. The ITD thresholds for modulation frequencies of 8 Hz and 16 Hz were estimated as a function of the inter-aural modulation depth difference. The Friedman test findings revealed a statistically significant increase in the ITD threshold with an increase in the inter-aural modulation depth difference for 8 Hz and 16 Hz. The results indicate that the inter-aural differences in the modulation depth negatively impact ITD perception for an amplitude-modulated high pass filtered noise.

Label-Aware Dual Graph Neural Networks for Multi-Label Fundus Image Classification.

Fundus disease is a complex and universal disease involving a variety of pathologies. Its early diagnosis using fundus images can effectively prevent further diseases and provide targeted treatment plans for patients. Recent deep learning models for classification of this disease are gradually emerging as a critical research field, which is attracting widespread attention. However, in practice, most of the existing methods only focus on local visual cues of a single image, and ignore the underlying explicit interaction similarity between subjects and correlation information among pathologies in fundus diseases. In this paper, we propose a novel label-aware dual graph neural networks for multi-label fundus image classification that consists of population-based graph representation learning and pathology-based graph representation learning modules. Specifically, we first construct a population-based graph by integrating image features and non-image information to learn patient's representations by incorporating associations between subjects. Then, we represent pathologies as a sparse graph where its nodes are associated with pathology-based feature vectors and the edges correspond to probability of the co-occurrence of labels to generate a set of classifier scores by the propagation of multi-layer graph information. Finally, our model can adaptively recalibrate multi-label outputs. Detailed experiments and analysis of our results show the effectiveness of our method compared with state-of-the-art multi-label fundus image classification methods.

Addressing Challenges of Incorporating Appearance Cues Into Heuristic Multi-Object Tracker via a Novel Feature Paradigm.

In the field of Multi-Object Tracking (MOT), the incorporation of appearance cues into tracking-by-detection heuristic trackers using re-identification (ReID) features has posed limitations on its advancement. The existing ReID paradigm involves the extraction of coarse-grained object-level feature vectors from cropped objects at a fixed input size using a ReID model, and similarity computation through a simple normalized inner product. However, MOT requires fine-grained features from different object regions and more accurate similarity measurements to identify individuals, especially in the presence of occlusion. To address these limitations, we propose a novel feature paradigm. In this paradigm, we extract the feature map from the entire frame image to preserve object sizes and represent objects using a set of fine-grained features from different object regions. These features are sampled from adaptive patches within the object bounding box on the feature map to effectively capture local appearance cues. We introduce Mutual Ratio Similarity (MRS) to accurately measure the similarity of the most discriminative region between two objects based on the sampled patches, which proves effective in handling occlusion. Moreover, we propose absolute Intersection over Union (AIoU) to consider object sizes in feature cost computation. We integrate our paradigm with advanced motion techniques to develop a heuristic Motion-Feature joint multi-object tracker, MoFe. Within it, we reformulate the track state transition of tracklets to better model their life cycle, and firstly introduce a runtime recorder after MoFe to refine trajectories. Extensive experiments on five benchmarks, i.e., GMOT-40, BDD100k, DanceTrack, MOT17, and MOT20, demonstrate that MoFe achieves state-of-the-art performance in robustness and generalizability without any fine-tuning, and even surpasses the performance of fine-tuned ReID features.

Skeletal muscle niche, at the crossroad of cell/cell communications.

Skeletal muscle is composed of a variety of tissue and non-tissue resident cells that participate in homeostasis. In particular, the muscle stem cell niche is a dynamic system, requiring direct and indirect communications between cells, involving local and remote cues. Interactions within the niche must happen in a timely manner for the maintenance or recovery of the homeostatic niche. For instance, after an injury, pro-myogenic cues delivered too early will impact on muscle stem cell proliferation, delaying the repair process. Within the niche, myofibers, endothelial cells, perivascular cells (pericytes, smooth muscle cells), fibro-adipogenic progenitors, fibroblasts, and immune cells are in close proximity with each other. Each cell behavior, membrane profile, and secretome can interfere with muscle stem cell fate and skeletal muscle regeneration. On top of that, the muscle stem cell niche can also be modified by extra-muscle (remote) cues, as other tissues may act on muscle regeneration via the production of circulating factors or the delivery of cells. In this review, we highlight recent publications evidencing both local and remote effectors of the muscle stem cell niche.

Bilevel Fusion With Local and Global Cues for Point Cloud Upsampling

Bilevel Fusion With Local and Global Cues for Point Cloud Upsampling

SETA: Semantic-Aware Edge-Guided Token Augmentation for Domain Generalization.

Domain generalization (DG) aims to enhance the model robustness against domain shifts without accessing target domains. A prevalent category of methods for DG is data augmentation, which focuses on generating virtual samples to simulate domain shifts. However, existing augmentation techniques in DG are mainly tailored for convolutional neural networks (CNNs), with limited exploration in token-based architectures, i.e., vision transformer (ViT) and multi-layer perceptrons (MLP) models. In this paper, we study the impact of prior CNN-based augmentation methods on token-based models, revealing their performance is suboptimal due to the lack of incentivizing the model to learn holistic shape information. To tackle the issue, we propose the Semantic-aware Edge-guided Token Augmentation (SETA) method. SETA transforms token features by perturbing local edge cues while preserving global shape features, thereby enhancing the model learning of shape information. To further enhance the generalization ability of the model, we introduce two stylized variants of our method combined with two state-of-the-art (SOTA) style augmentation methods in DG. We provide a theoretical insight into our method, demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing the generalization risk bound. Comprehensive experiments on five benchmarks prove that our method achieves SOTA performances across various ViT and MLP architectures. Our code is available at https://github.com/lingeringlight/SETA.

Pyramid Scene Parsing Network for Driver Distraction Classification

In recent years, there has been a persistent increase in the number of road accidents worldwide. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that distracted driving is responsible for approximately 45 percent of road accidents. In this study, we tackle the challenge of automating the detection and classification of driver distraction, along with the monitoring of risky driving behavior. Our proposed solution is based on the Pyramid Scene Parsing Network (PSPNet), which is a semantic segmentation model equipped with a pyramid parsing module. This module leverages global context information through context aggregation from different regions. We introduce a lightweight model for driver distraction classification, where the final predictions benefit from the combination of both local and global cues. For model training, we utilized the publicly available StateFarm Distracted Driver Detection Dataset. Additionally, we propose optimization techniques for classification to enhance the model’s performance.

Maize terpene synthase 1 impacts insect behavior via the production of monoterpene volatiles β-myrcene and linalool

Plant-derived volatiles are important mediators of plant-insect interactions as they can provide cues for host location and quality, or act as direct or indirect defense molecules. The volatiles produced by Zea mays (maize) include a range of terpenes, likely produced by several of the terpene synthases (TPS) present in maize. Determining the roles of specific terpene volatiles and individual TPSs in maize-insect interactions is challenging due to the promiscuous nature of TPSs in vitro and their potential for functional redundancy. In this study, we used metabolite GWAS of a sweetcorn diversity panel infested with Spodoptera frugiperda (fall armyworm) to identify genetic correlations between TPSs and individual volatiles. This analysis revealed a correlation between maize terpene synthase 1 (ZmTPS1) and emission of the monoterpene volatiles linalool and β-myrcene. Electroantennogram assays showed gravid S. frugiperda could detect both linalool and β-myrcene. Quantification of headspace volatiles in a maize tps1 loss-of-function mutant confirmed that ZmTPS1 is an important contributor to linalool and β-myrcene emission in maize. Furthermore, pairwise choice assays between tps1 mutant and wild-type plants showed that ZmTPS1, and by extension its volatile products, aid host location in the chewing insect S. frugiperda, yet repel the sap-sucking pest, Rhopalosiphum maidis (corn leaf aphid). On the other hand, ZmTPS1 had no impact on indirect defense via the recruitment of the parasitoid Cotesia marginiventris. ZmTPS1 is therefore an important mediator of the interactions between maize and its insect pests.

Blind people can actively manipulate virtual objects with a novel tactile device

Frequently in rehabilitation, visually impaired persons are passive agents of exercises with fixed environmental constraints. In fact, a printed tactile map, i.e. a particular picture with a specific spatial arrangement, can usually not be edited. Interaction with map content, instead, facilitates the learning of spatial skills because it exploits mental imagery, manipulation and strategic planning simultaneously. However, it has rarely been applied to maps, mainly because of technological limitations. This study aims to understand if visually impaired people can autonomously build objects that are completely virtual. Specifically, we investigated if a group of twelve blind persons, with a wide age range, could exploit mental imagery to interact with virtual content and actively manipulate it by means of a haptic device. The device is mouse-shaped and designed to jointly perceive, with one finger only, local tactile height and inclination cues of arbitrary scalar fields. Spatial information can be mentally constructed by integrating local tactile cues, given by the device, with global proprioceptive cues, given by hand and arm motion. The experiment consisted of a bi-manual task, in which one hand explored some basic virtual objects and the other hand acted on a keyboard to change the position of one object in real-time. The goal was to merge basic objects into more complex objects, like a puzzle. The experiment spanned different resolutions of the tactile information. We measured task accuracy, efficiency, usability and execution time. The average accuracy in solving the puzzle was 90.5%. Importantly, accuracy was linearly predicted by efficiency, measured as the number of moves needed to solve the task. Subjective parameters linked to usability and spatial resolutions did not predict accuracy; gender modulated the execution time, with men being faster than women. Overall, we show that building purely virtual tactile objects is possible in absence of vision and that the process is measurable and achievable in partial autonomy. Introducing virtual tactile graphics in rehabilitation protocols could facilitate the stimulation of mental imagery, a basic element for the ability to orient in space. The behavioural variable introduced in the current study can be calculated after each trial and therefore could be used to automatically measure and tailor protocols to specific user needs. In perspective, our experimental setup can inspire remote rehabilitation scenarios for visually impaired people.

Attention shifts in the spatial cueing paradigm reflect direct influences of experience and not top-down goals.

The spatial cueing effect (SCE) that is elicited by informative spatial cues serves as an empirical marker of attention shifts in the spatial cueing paradigm, and it has been widely interpreted to reflect a relatively pure form of top-down attention control. Contrary to this interpretation, the present study examined the extent to which the magnitude of the SCE could be due to learned associations between specific cues and shifts of attention to the corresponding location, while attempting to track potential changes in participants' task goals across the experiment. This was accomplished by using a novel two-choice, spatial cueing paradigm in which participants chose between two spatial validity contexts. One spatial validity context always involved a 25%-valid (uninformative) arrow cue - called the "test" context; whereas the alternate context - called the "inducing" context - was varied between groups. In particular, associations between specific cues and shifts of attention to the corresponding cued location were perfectly predictable in the "strong inducing" context (100%-valid arrow cues) and imperfectly predictable in the "weak inducing" context (70%-valid arrow cues). Consistent with the experience-dependent account, the results showed that the magnitude of the SCE observed in the test context increased as an individual's experience with the strong inducing context increased. Furthermore, these context effects were observed using both overlearned (arrow) and arbitrary (number) cues, as well as when eye movements were controlled. Altogether, these findings suggest that the magnitude of the SCE can be influenced directly by experience, and not by the top-down goals of the individual.

Self-Adaptive Perception of Object's Deformability with Multiple Deformation Attributes Utilizing Biomimetic Mechanoreceptors.

The perception of object's deformability in unstructured interactions relies on both kinesthetic and cutaneous cues to adapt the uncertainties of an object. However, the existing tactile sensors cannot provide adequate cutaneous cues to self-adaptively estimate the material softness, especially in non-standard contact scenarios where the interacting object deviates from the assumption of an elastic half-infinite body. This paper proposes an innovative design of a tactile sensor that integrates the capabilities of two slow-adapting mechanoreceptors within a soft medium, allowing self-decoupled sensing of local pressure and strain at specific locations within the contact interface. By leveraging these localized cutaneous cues, the sensor can accurately and self-adaptively measure the material softness of an object, accommodating variations in thicknesses and applied forces. Furthermore, when combined with a kinesthetic cue from the robot, the sensor can enhance tactile expression by the synergy of two relevant deformation attributes, including material softness and compliance.It is demonstrated that the biomimetic fusion of tactile information can fully comprehend the deformability of an object, hence facilitating robotic decision-making and dexterous manipulation.