1,740 research outputs found
Explaining generative diffusion models via visual analysis for interpretable decision-making process
Diffusion models have demonstrated remarkable performance in generation
tasks. Nevertheless, explaining the diffusion process remains challenging due
to it being a sequence of denoising noisy images that are difficult for experts
to interpret. To address this issue, we propose the three research questions to
interpret the diffusion process from the perspective of the visual concepts
generated by the model and the region where the model attends in each time
step. We devise tools for visualizing the diffusion process and answering the
aforementioned research questions to render the diffusion process
human-understandable. We show how the output is progressively generated in the
diffusion process by explaining the level of denoising and highlighting
relationships to foundational visual concepts at each time step through the
results of experiments with various visual analyses using the tools. Throughout
the training of the diffusion model, the model learns diverse visual concepts
corresponding to each time-step, enabling the model to predict varying levels
of visual concepts at different stages. We substantiate our tools using Area
Under Cover (AUC) score, correlation quantification, and cross-attention
mapping. Our findings provide insights into the diffusion process and pave the
way for further research into explainable diffusion mechanisms.Comment: 22 pages, published in Expert Systems with Application
Unusual transport characteristics of nitrogen-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes
Electrical transport characteristics of nitrogen-doped single-walled carbon nanotubes (N-SWCNTs), in which the nitrogen dopant is believed to form a pyridinelike bonding configuration, are studied with the field effect transistor operations. Contrary to the expectation that the nitrogen atoms may induce a n -type doping, the electrical transports through our N-SWCNTs are either ambipolar in vacuum or p -type in air. Through the first-principles electronic structure calculations, we show that the nitrogen dopant indeed favors the pyridinelike configuration and the Fermi level of the pyridinelike N-SWCNT is almost at the intrinsic level.open01
Enhancement of phase separation in the InGaN layer for self-assembled In-rich quantum dots
The enhancement of phase separation in the InGaN layer grown on a GaN layer with a rough surface was investigated for the formation of self-assembled In-rich quantum dots(QDs) in the InGaN layer. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that In-rich QDs with a size of 2–5 nm were formed even in an InGaN layer with a low indium content, and a layer thickness less than the critical thickness. The room-temperature photoluminescence(PL) spectrum of this layer showed emission peaks corresponding to In-rich QDs. The temperature-dependent PL spectra showed dominant peak shifts to the lower energy side, indicating that the self-assembled In-rich QDs are formed in the InGaN layer grown on a rough GaNsurface and that the carriers are localized in In-rich QDs
Room-temperature polariton lasing in quantum heterostructure nanocavities
Controlling light-matter interactions in solid-state systems has motivated
intense research to produce bosonic quasi-particles known as
exciton-polaritons, which requires strong coupling between excitons and cavity
photons. Ultra-low threshold coherent light emitters can be achieved through
lasing from exciton-polariton condensates, but this generally requires
sophisticated device structures and cryogenic temperatures. Polaritonic
nanolasers operating at room temperature lie on the crucial path of related
research, not only for the exploration of polariton physics at the nanoscale
but also for potential applications in quantum information systems, all-optical
logic gates, and ultra-low threshold lasers. However, at present, progress
toward room-temperature polariton nanolasers has been limited by the thermal
instability of excitons and the inherently low quality factors of nanocavities.
Here, we demonstrate room-temperature polaritonic nanolasers by designing
wide-gap semiconductor heterostructure nanocavities to produce thermally stable
excitons coupled with nanocavity photons. The resulting mixed states of
exciton-polaritons with Rabi frequencies of approximately 370 meV enable
persistent polariton lasing up to room temperature, facilitating the
realization of miniaturized and integrated polariton systems
Visfatin Induces Sickness Responses in the Brain
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Visfatin, also known as nicotiamide phosphoribosyltransferase or pre-B cell colony enhancing factor, is a pro-inflammatory cytokine whose serum level is increased in sepsis and cancer as well as in obesity. Here we report a pro-inflammatory role of visfatin in the brain, to mediate sickness responses including anorexia, hyperthermia and hypoactivity. METHODOLOGY: Rats were intracerebroventricularly (ICV) injected with visfatin, and changes in food intake, body weight, body temperature and locomotor activity were monitored. Real-time PCR was applied to determine the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, proopiomelanocortin (POMC) and prostaglandin-synthesizing enzymes in their brain. To determine the roles of cyclooxygenase (COX) and melanocortin in the visfatin action, rats were ICV-injected with visfatin with or without SHU9119, a melanocortin receptor antagonist, or indomethacin, a COX inhibitor, and their sickness behaviors were evaluated. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Administration of visfatin decreased food intake, body weight and locomotor activity and increased body temperature. Visfatin evoked significant increases in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, prostaglandin-synthesizing enzymes and POMC, an anorexigenic neuropeptide. Indomethacin attenuated the effects of visfatin on hyperthermia and hypoactivity, but not anorexia. Further, SHU9119 blocked visfatin-induced anorexia but did not affect hyperthermia or hypoactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Visfatin induced sickness responses via regulation of COX and the melanocortin pathway in the brain
Noble gas as a proxy to understand the evolutionary path of migrated CO2 in a shallow aquifer system
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Expression of Heterologous OsDHAR Gene Improves Glutathione (GSH)-Dependent Antioxidant System and Maintenance of Cellular Redox Status in Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942.
An excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause severe oxidative damage to cellular components in photosynthetic cells. Antioxidant systems, such as the glutathione (GSH) pools, regulate redox status in cells to guard against such damage. Dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR, EC 1.8.5.1) catalyzes the glutathione-dependent reduction of oxidized ascorbate (dehydroascorbate) and contains a redox active site and glutathione binding-site. The DHAR gene is important in biological and abiotic stress responses involving reduction of the oxidative damage caused by ROS. In this study, transgenic Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (TA) was constructed by cloning the Oryza sativa L. japonica DHAR (OsDHAR) gene controlled by an isopropyl β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG)-inducible promoter (Ptrc) into the cyanobacterium to study the functional activities of OsDHAR under oxidative stress caused by hydrogen peroxide exposure. OsDHAR expression increased the growth of S. elongatus PCC 7942 under oxidative stress by reducing the levels of hydroperoxides and malondialdehyde (MDA) and mitigating the loss of chlorophyll. DHAR and glutathione S-transferase activity were higher than in the wild-type S. elongatus PCC 7942 (WT). Additionally, overexpression of OsDHAR in S. elongatus PCC 7942 greatly increased the glutathione (GSH)/glutathione disulfide (GSSG) ratio in the presence or absence of hydrogen peroxide. These results strongly suggest that DHAR attenuates deleterious oxidative effects via the glutathione (GSH)-dependent antioxidant system in cyanobacterial cells. The expression of heterologous OsDHAR in S. elongatus PCC 7942 protected cells from oxidative damage through a GSH-dependent antioxidant system via GSH-dependent reactions at the redox active site and GSH binding site residues during oxidative stress
ZnO nanoparticle growth on single-walled carbon nanotubes by atomic laye r deposition and a consequent lifetime elongation of nanotube field emission emission
ZnO nanoparticles were grown on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) by atomic layer deposition using diethylzinc (DEZ) and water. The athors discuss that, because of chemical inertness of nanotubes to DEZ and water molecules, such nanoparticles are not likely to grow on the wall of clean and perfect nanotubes. Rather, the growth of ZnO nanoparticles should be attributed to imperfection of nanotubes, such as defects and carbonaceous impurities. Lifetime of field emission from SWNTs with the ZnO nanoparticles is 2.5 times longer than that from the as-grown nanotubes. It is thought that the protection of the defects or impurities by ZnO nanoparticles mainly contributed to the improvement of the field emission lifetime from SWNTs.open262
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