N-Gram in Swin Transformers for Efficient Lightweight Image Super-Resolution

While some studies have proven that Swin Transformer (SwinT) with window self-attention (WSA) is suitable for single image super-resolution (SR), SwinT ignores the broad regions for reconstructing high-resolution images due to window and shift size. In addition, many deep learning SR methods suffer from intensive computations. To address these problems, we introduce the N-Gram context to the image domain for the first time in history. We define N-Gram as neighboring local windows in SwinT, which differs from text analysis that views N-Gram as consecutive characters or words. N-Grams interact with each other by sliding-WSA, expanding the regions seen to restore degraded pixels. Using the N-Gram context, we propose NGswin, an efficient SR network with SCDP bottleneck taking all outputs of the hierarchical encoder. Experimental results show that NGswin achieves competitive performance while keeping an efficient structure, compared with previous leading methods. Moreover, we also improve other SwinT-based SR methods with the N-Gram context, thereby building an enhanced model: SwinIR-NG. Our improved SwinIR-NG outperforms the current best lightweight SR approaches and establishes state-of-the-art results. Codes will be available soon.Comment: 8 pages (main content) + 14 pages (supplementary content

NGL-1/LRRC4C Deletion Moderately Suppresses Hippocampal Excitatory Synapse Development and Function in an Input-Independent Manner

Netrin-G ligand-1 (NGL-1), also known as LRRC4C, is a postsynaptic densities (PSDs)-95-interacting postsynaptic adhesion molecule that interacts trans-synaptically with presynaptic netrin-G1. NGL-1 and its family member protein NGL-2 are thought to promote excitatory synapse development through largely non-overlapping neuronal pathways. While NGL-2 is critical for excitatory synapse development in specific dendritic segments of neurons in an input-specific manner, whether NGL-1 has similar functions is unclear. Here, we show that Lrrc4c deletion in male mice moderately suppresses excitatory synapse development and function, but surprisingly, does so in an input-independent manner. While NGL-1 is mainly detected in the stratum lacunosum moleculare (SLM) layer of the hippocampus relative to the stratum radiatum (SR) layer, NGL-1 deletion leads to decreases in the number of PSDs in both SLM and SR layers in the ventral hippocampus. In addition, both SLM and SR excitatory synapses display suppressed short-term synaptic plasticity in the ventral hippocampus. These morphological and functional changes are either absent or modest in the dorsal hippocampus. The input-independent synaptic changes induced by Lrrc4c deletion involve abnormal translocation of NGL-2 from the SR to SLM layer. These results suggest that Lrrc4c deletion moderately suppresses hippocampal excitatory synapse development and function in an input-independent manner

A Study on Attention Attracting Elements of 360-Degree Videos Based on VR Eye-Tracking System

In 360-degree virtual reality (VR) videos, users possess increased freedom in terms of gaze movement. As a result, the users’ attention may not move according to the narrative intended by the director and miss out on important parts of the narrative of the 360-degree video. Therefore, it is necessary to study a directing technique that can attract user attention in 360-degree VR videos. In this study, we analyzed the directing elements that can attract users’ attention in a 360-degree VR video and developed a 360 VR eye-tracking system to investigate the effect of the attention-attracting elements on the user. Elements that can attract user attention were classified into five categories: object movement, hand gesture, GUI insertion, camera movement, and gaze angle variation. We developed a 360 VR eye-tracking system to analyze whether five attention-attracting elements influence the user’s attention. Based on the eye tracking system, an experiment was conducted to analyze whether the user’s attention moves according to the five attention-attracting elements. Based on the experimental results, it can be seen that ‘hand gesture’ attracted the second most attention shift of the subjects, and ‘GUI insertion’ induced the smallest shift of attention of the subjects

A Study on Attention Attracting Elements of 360-Degree Videos Based on VR Eye-Tracking System

In 360-degree virtual reality (VR) videos, users possess increased freedom in terms of gaze movement. As a result, the users’ attention may not move according to the narrative intended by the director and miss out on important parts of the narrative of the 360-degree video. Therefore, it is necessary to study a directing technique that can attract user attention in 360-degree VR videos. In this study, we analyzed the directing elements that can attract users’ attention in a 360-degree VR video and developed a 360 VR eye-tracking system to investigate the effect of the attention-attracting elements on the user. Elements that can attract user attention were classified into five categories: object movement, hand gesture, GUI insertion, camera movement, and gaze angle variation. We developed a 360 VR eye-tracking system to analyze whether five attention-attracting elements influence the user’s attention. Based on the eye tracking system, an experiment was conducted to analyze whether the user’s attention moves according to the five attention-attracting elements. Based on the experimental results, it can be seen that ‘hand gesture’ attracted the second most attention shift of the subjects, and ‘GUI insertion’ induced the smallest shift of attention of the subjects

Learning Cultural Spaces: A Collaborative Creation of a Virtual Art Museum Using Roblox

This study proposes education on creating virtual art museums using metaverse technology to broaden the understanding of art museums. It investigates the effect of creating a virtual art museum using Roblox Studio, a metaverse platform, on the acquisition of knowledge about art museums, artists, and artworks and the ability to create metaverse content. This study selected the Moonshin Art Museum (MAM), the art museum to be created in the metaverse space, as its local cultural space. Fifteen students participated in a creation workshop to learn to create virtual spatial content using Roblox Studio and also visited an actual art museum. The students were then assigned to architecture, artwork, avatar, and content teams and collaborated with one another. To evaluate the activities, students filled out pre- and post-questionnaires containing items about the MAM, the sculptor Moonshin, and Moonshin’s artwork, as well as the ability to produce metaverse content. Findings showed that creating a virtual art museum through a metaverse platform facilitates the acquisition of spatial knowledge about art museums as well as information about artists and artworks. In addition, collaboration not only helped in the creation task but also identified and solved technical difficulties and improved creative abilities. These results suggest possibilities for using metaverse technology in delivering education regarding virtual art museums

Experiencing work as decent, meaningful, neither, or both: a latent profile analysis

In the current study we gathered data from a large group of employed adults (N = 710) to examine the degree to which participants experienced their work as unique combinations of decent and meaningful. We applied latent profile analysis (LPA) to construct specific profiles according to how strongly participants endorsed five components of decent work and meaningful work. Seven different profiles emerged from our analyses which were labeled as a) Only healthcare, b) Unfulfilling, c) Highly meaningless, d) Adequate safety and rest, e) Adequate, f) Fulfilling, and g) Absent healthcare. We examined group differences amongst the profiles in terms of hypothesized predictor (economic constraints, marginalization experiences) and outcome (work-family conflict, intentions to quit) variables. Mixed support was found for the hypotheses, and profiles where participants did or did not have healthcare access at work were particularly unique in comparison to other profiles

Mice lacking the synaptic adhesion molecule Neph2/Kirrel3 display moderate hyperactivity and defective novel object preference

Synaptic adhesion molecules regulate diverse aspects of neuronal synapse development, including synapse specificity, formation, and maturation. Neph2, also known as Kirrel3, is an immunoglobulin superfamily adhesion molecule implicated in intellectual disability, neurocognitive delay associated with Jacobsen syndrome, and autism spectrum disorders. We here report mice lacking Neph2 (Neph2-/- mice) display moderate hyperactivity in a familiar, but not novel, environment and defective novel object recognition with normal performances in Morris water maze spatial learning and memory, contextual fear conditioning and extinction, and pattern separation tests. These mice also show normal levels of anxiety-like behaviors, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. At the synapse level, Neph2-/- dentate gyrus granule cells exhibit unaltered dendritic spine density and spontaneous excitatory synaptic transmission. These results suggest that Neph2 is important for normal locomotor activity and object recognition memory. © 2015 FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE Choi, Han, Cutforth, Chung, Park, Lee, Kim, Kim, Choi, Shen and Kim1981sciescopu

A 64 Gb/s 1.5 pJ/bit PAM-4 Transmitter with 3-Tap FFE and G(m)-Regulated Active-Feedback Driver in 28 nm CMOS

This paper presents a low-power implementation of a 64 Gb/s PAM-4 transmitter (TX) by using 3-tap feed-forward equalization (FFE) and G(m) -regulated active-feedback driver. The FFE tap generation is merged into serializer to minimize the overhead of FFE, by replacing a power-hungry delay generator. An active-feedback inverter based driver is also proposed to achieve a larger output swing compared with a resistive-feedback driver with limited output swing. The prototype chip is fabricated in 28nm CMOS technology and occupies 0.185 mm(2). The proposed TX achieves the data rate of 64 Gb/s while consuming 97.2 mW, which exhibits the state-of-the-art energy efficiency of 1.5 pJ/b.N

NGL-1/LRRC4C-Mutant Mice Display Hyperactivity and Anxiolytic-Like Behavior Associated With Widespread Suppression of Neuronal Activity

© Copyright © 2019 Choi, Park, Kang, Jung, Kweon, Kim, Choi, Lee, Choi, Lee and Kim.Netrin-G ligand-1 (NGL-1), encoded by Lrrc4c, is a post-synaptic adhesion molecule implicated in various brain disorders, including bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental delay. Although previous studies have explored the roles of NGL-1 in the regulation of synapse development and function, the importance of NGL-1 for specific behaviors and the nature of related neural circuits in mice remain unclear. Here, we report that mice lacking NGL-1 (Lrrc4c–/–) show strong hyperactivity and anxiolytic-like behavior. They also display impaired spatial and working memory, but normal object-recognition memory and social interaction. c-Fos staining under baseline and anxiety-inducing conditions revealed suppressed baseline neuronal activity as well as limited neuronal activation in widespread brain regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), motor cortex, endopiriform nucleus, bed nuclei of the stria terminalis, and dentate gyrus. Neurons in the ACC, motor cortex, and dentate gyrus exhibit distinct alterations in excitatory synaptic transmission and intrinsic neuronal excitability. These results suggest that NGL-1 is important for normal locomotor activity, anxiety-like behavior, and learning and memory, as well as synapse properties and excitability of neurons in widespread brain regions under baseline and anxiety-inducing conditions11Nsciescopu

NGL-1/LRRC4C Deletion Moderately Suppresses Hippocampal Excitatory Synapse Development and Function in an Input-Independent Manner

Netrin-G ligand-1 (NGL-1), also known as LRRC4C, is a postsynaptic densities (PSDs)-95-interacting postsynaptic adhesion molecule that interacts trans-synaptically with presynaptic netrin-G1. NGL-1 and its family member protein NGL-2 are thought to promote excitatory synapse development through largely non-overlapping neuronal pathways. While NGL-2 is critical for excitatory synapse development in specific dendritic segments of neurons in an input-specific manner, whether NGL-1 has similar functions is unclear. Here, we show that Lrrc4c deletion in male mice moderately suppresses excitatory synapse development and function, but surprisingly, does so in an input-independent manner. While NGL-1 is mainly detected in the stratum lacunosum moleculare (SLM) layer of the hippocampus relative to the stratum radiatum (SR) layer, NGL-1 deletion leads to decreases in the number of PSDs in both SLM and SR layers in the ventral hippocampus. In addition, both SLM and SR excitatory synapses display suppressed short-term synaptic plasticity in the ventral hippocampus. These morphological and functional changes are either absent or modest in the dorsal hippocampus. The input-independent synaptic changes induced by Lrrc4c deletion involve abnormal translocation of NGL-2 from the SR to SLM layer. These results suggest that Lrrc4c deletion moderately suppresses hippocampal excitatory synapse development and function in an input-independent manner. Copyright © 2019 Choi, Park, Jung, Kweon, Kim, Lee, Han, Cho, Kim, Sim, Kim, Bae and Kim