Towards Efficient Neural Scene Graphs by Learning Consistency Fields

Neural Radiance Fields (NeRF) achieves photo-realistic image rendering from novel views, and the Neural Scene Graphs (NSG) \cite{ost2021neural} extends it to dynamic scenes (video) with multiple objects. Nevertheless, computationally heavy ray marching for every image frame becomes a huge burden. In this paper, taking advantage of significant redundancy across adjacent frames in videos, we propose a feature-reusing framework. From the first try of naively reusing the NSG features, however, we learn that it is crucial to disentangle object-intrinsic properties consistent across frames from transient ones. Our proposed method, \textit{Consistency-Field-based NSG (CF-NSG)}, reformulates neural radiance fields to additionally consider \textit{consistency fields}. With disentangled representations, CF-NSG takes full advantage of the feature-reusing scheme and performs an extended degree of scene manipulation in a more controllable manner. We empirically verify that CF-NSG greatly improves the inference efficiency by using 85\% less queries than NSG without notable degradation in rendering quality. Code will be available at: https://github.com/ldynx/CF-NSGComment: BMVC 2022, 22 page

Understanding Users' Dissatisfaction with ChatGPT Responses: Types, Resolving Tactics, and the Effect of Knowledge Level

Large language models (LLMs) with chat-based capabilities, such as ChatGPT, are widely used in various workflows. However, due to a limited understanding of these large-scale models, users struggle to use this technology and experience different kinds of dissatisfaction. Researchers have introduced several methods such as prompt engineering to improve model responses. However, they focus on crafting one prompt, and little has been investigated on how to deal with the dissatisfaction the user encountered during the conversation. Therefore, with ChatGPT as the case study, we examine end users' dissatisfaction along with their strategies to address the dissatisfaction. After organizing users' dissatisfaction with LLM into seven categories based on a literature review, we collected 511 instances of dissatisfactory ChatGPT responses from 107 users and their detailed recollections of dissatisfied experiences, which we release as a publicly accessible dataset. Our analysis reveals that users most frequently experience dissatisfaction when ChatGPT fails to grasp their intentions, while they rate the severity of dissatisfaction the highest with dissatisfaction related to accuracy. We also identified four tactics users employ to address their dissatisfaction and their effectiveness. We found that users often do not use any tactics to address their dissatisfaction, and even when using tactics, 72% of dissatisfaction remained unresolved. Moreover, we found that users with low knowledge regarding LLMs tend to face more dissatisfaction on accuracy while they often put minimal effort in addressing dissatisfaction. Based on these findings, we propose design implications for minimizing user dissatisfaction and enhancing the usability of chat-based LLM services

Transformation of (allo)securinine to (allo)norsecurinine via a molecular editing strategy

Securinega alkaloids have intrigued chemists since the isolation of securinine in 1956. This family of natural products comprises a securinane subfamily with a piperidine substructure and norsecurinane alkaloids featuring a pyrrolidine core. From a biosynthetic perspective, the piperidine moiety in securinane alkaloids derives from lysine, whereas the pyrrolidine moiety in norsecurinane natural products originates from ornithine, marking an early biogenetic divergence. Herein, we introduce a single-atom deletion strategy that enables the late-stage conversion of securinane to norsecurinane alkaloids. Notably, for the first time, this method enabled the transformation of piperidine-based (allo)securinine into pyrrolidine-based (allo)norsecurinine. Straightforward access to norsecurinine from securinine, which can be readily extracted from the plant Flueggea suffruticosa, abundant across the Korean peninsula, holds promise for synthetic studies of norsecurinine-based oligomeric securinega alkaloids

A Novel Simplified System to Estimate Lower-Limb Joint Moments during Sit-to-Stand

To provide effective diagnosis and rehabilitation, the evaluation of joint moments during sit-to-stand is essential. The conventional systems for the evaluation, which use motion capture cameras, are quite accurate. However, the systems are not widely used in clinics due to their high cost, inconvenience, and the fact they require lots of space. To solve these problems, some studies have attempted to use inertial sensors only, but they were still inconvenient and inaccurate with asymmetric weight-bearing. We propose a novel joint moment estimation system that can evaluate both symmetric and asymmetric sit-to-stands. To make a simplified system, the proposal is based on a kinematic model that estimates segment angles using a single inertial sensor attached to the shank and a force plate. The system was evaluated with 16 healthy people through symmetric and asymmetric weight-bearing sit-to-stand. The results showed that the proposed system (1) has good accuracy in estimating joint moments (root mean square error < 0.110 Nm/kg) with high correlation (correlation coefficient > 0.99) and (2) is clinically relevant due to its simplicity and applicability of asymmetric sit-to-stand. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.1

Reduced chronic restraint stress in mice overexpressing hyperactive proteasomes in the forebrain

While chronic restraint stress (CRS) results in depression-like behaviors possibly through oxidative stress in the brain, its molecular etiology and the development of therapeutic strategies remain elusive. Since oxidized proteins can be targeted by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, we investigated whether increased proteasome activity might affect the stress response in mice. Transgenic mice, expressing the N-terminally deleted version of α3 subunit (α3ΔN) of the proteasome, which has been shown to generate open-gated mutant proteasomes, in the forebrain were viable and fertile, but showed higher proteasome activity. After being challenged with CRS for 14 d, the mutant mice with hyperactive proteasomes showed significantly less immobility time in the forced swimming test compared with their wild-type littermates, suggesting that the α3ΔN transgenic mice are resistant to CRS. The accumulation of ER stress markers, such as polyubiquitin conjugates and phospho-IRE1α, was also significantly delayed in the hippocampus of the mutants. Notably, α3ΔN mice exhibited little deficits in other behavioral tasks, suggesting that stress resilience is likely due to the degradation of misfolded proteins by the open-gated proteasomes. These data strongly indicate that not only is the proteasome a critical modulator of stress response in vivo but also a possible therapeutic target for reducing chronic stress.This work was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation (2019R1A2B5B02069530, 2016M3C7A1913895 to M.J.L. 2017R1A6A3A11029936 to S.P., 2019R1A2C1005987 to J.H.L., and 2019R1A4A2001609 to Y.-S.L.), Korea Toray Science Foundation (800–20180524 to M.J.L.), and the Creative-Pioneering Researchers Program through Seoul National University (800–20160281 to M.J.L.)

The implication of the air quality pattern in South Korea after the COVID-19 outbreak

By using multiple satellite measurements, the changes of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over South Korea were investigated from January to March 2020 to evaluate the COVID-19 effect on the regional air quality. The NO2 decrease in South Korea was found but not significant, which indicates the effects of spontaneous social distancing under the maintenance of ordinary life. The AODs in 2020 were normally high in January, but they became lower starting from February. Since the atmosphere over Eastern Asia was unusually stagnant in January and February 2020, the AOD decrease in February 2020 clearly reveals the positive effect of the COVID-19. Considering the insignificant NO2 decrease in South Korea and the relatively long lifetime of aerosols, the AOD decrease in South Korea may be more attributed to the improvement of the air quality in neighboring countries. In March, regional atmosphere became well mixed and ventilated over South Korea, contributing to large enhancement of air quality. While the social activity was reduced after the COVID-19 outbreak, the regional meteorology should be also examined significantly to avoid the biased evaluation of the social impact on the change of the regional air quality

Characteristics of Classified Aerosol Types in South Korea during the MAPS-Seoul Campaign

During the Megacity Air Pollution Studies-Seoul (MAPS-Seoul) campaign from May to June 2015, aerosol optical properties in Korea were obtained based on the AERONET sunphotometer measurement at five sites (Anmyon, Gangneung_WNU, Gosan_SNU, Hankuk_UFS, and Yonsei_University). Using this dataset, we examine regional aerosol types by applying a number of known aerosol classification methods. We thoroughly utilize five different methods to categorize the regional aerosol types and evaluate the results from each method by inter-comparison. The differences and similarities among the results are also discussed, contingent upon the usage of AERONET inversion products, such as the single scattering albedo. Despite several small differences, all five methods suggest the same general features in terms of the regionally dominant aerosol type: Fine-mode aerosols with highly absorbing radiative properties dominate at HankukUFS and Yonsei_University; non-absorbing fine-mode particles form a large portion of the aerosol at Gosan_SNU; and coarse-mode particles cause some effects at Anmyon. The analysis of 3-day back-trajectories is also performed to determine the relationship between classified types at each site and the regional transport pattern. In particular, the spatiotemporally short-scale transport appears to have a large influence on the local aerosol properties. As a result, we find that the domestic emission in Korea significantly contributes to the high dominance of radiation-absorbing aerosols in the Seoul metropolitan area and the air-mass transport from China largely affects the western coastal sites, such as Anmyon and Gosan_SNU

The relationship between dopamine receptor blockade and cognitive performance in schizophrenia: A [C-11]-raclopride PET study with aripiprazole

Aripiprazole's effects on cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia are unclear because of the difficulty in disentangling specific effects on cognitive function from secondary effects due to the improvement in other schizophrenic symptoms. One approach to address this is to use an intermediate biomarker to investigate the relationship between the drug's effect on the brain and change in cognitive function. This study aims to investigate aripiprazole's effect on working memory by determining the correlation between dopamine D2/3 (D2/3) receptor occupancy and working memory of patients with schizophrenia. Seven patients with schizophrenia participated in the study. Serial positron emission tomography (PET) scans with [C-11] raclopride were conducted at 2, 26, and 74 h after the administration of aripiprazole. The subjects performed the N-back task just after finishing the [C-11] raclopride PET scan. The mean (+/- SD) D2/3 receptor occupancies were 66.9 +/- 6.7% at 2 h, 65.0 +/- 8.6% at 26, and 57.7 +/- 11.2% at 74 h after administering aripiprazole. Compared with performance on the zero-back condition, performance in memory-loaded conditions (one-, two-, and three-back conditions) was significantly related to D2/3 receptor occupancy by aripiprazole (error rate: beta = -2.236, t = -6.631, df = 53.947, and p = 0.001; reaction time: beta = -9.567, t = -2.808, df = 29.967, and p = 0.009). Although the sample size was relatively small, these results suggest that aripiprazole as a dopamine-partial agonist could improve cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia.Y

A pilot study comparing three bend angles for lighted stylet intubation

Background For successful lighted stylet intubation, bending the lighted stylet with an appropriate angle is a prerequisite. The purpose of this study was to compare three different bend angles of 70, 80, and 90 degrees for lighted stylet intubation. Methods The patient trachea was intubated with a lighted stylet bent at 70, 80, or 90 degrees according to the randomly allocated groups (group I, II, and III, respectively). A lighted stylet combined with a tracheal tube was prepared with a bend angle of 70, 80, or 90 degrees according to the assigned group. We checked the success rate at the first attempt and overall success rate for the two attempts. Additionally, we measured search time, which was time from insertion of the bent union into the patient mouth to the start of advancing the tracheal tube while separating it from the lighted stylet, and evaluated postoperative sore throat (POST) at 2, 4, and 24 h after the recovery from anesthesia. Results There was no statistically significant difference between group I, II, and III for success rate at first attempt (73.9 %, 88.2 %, and 94.7 %, respectively, p = 0.178), even though there was a trend of increasing success rate with increasing bend angles. For overall success rate, there was similar result to that in the first attempt between the groups I, II, and III (82.6 %, 94.1 %, and 100 %, respectively, p = 0.141). However, search time took significantly longer in group I than groups II and III (p < 0.001). When group II and III were compared for POST with numeric rating scale (0–10), it was significantly lower in group II than III at 2, 4 h after the recovery (0.5 vs. 2.3, p = 0.016, and 0.4 vs. 1.8, p = 0.011, respectively). Conclusions The bend angle of the lighted stylet affected the time required for tracheal intubation and POST in our study. 80 and 90 degrees as a bend angle seem to be acceptable for clinicians in regard to success rate of lighted stylet intubation. Considering the success rate of lighted stylet intubation and POST, the bend angle of 80 degrees might be better than 70 and 90 degrees. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03693235 , registered on 30 September 2018