Brain-mediated Transfer Learning of Convolutional Neural Networks

The human brain can effectively learn a new task from a small number of samples, which indicate that the brain can transfer its prior knowledge to solve tasks in different domains. This function is analogous to transfer learning (TL) in the field of machine learning. TL uses a well-trained feature space in a specific task domain to improve performance in new tasks with insufficient training data. TL with rich feature representations, such as features of convolutional neural networks (CNNs), shows high generalization ability across different task domains. However, such TL is still insufficient in making machine learning attain generalization ability comparable to that of the human brain. To examine if the internal representation of the brain could be used to achieve more efficient TL, we introduce a method for TL mediated by human brains. Our method transforms feature representations of audiovisual inputs in CNNs into those in activation patterns of individual brains via their association learned ahead using measured brain responses. Then, to estimate labels reflecting human cognition and behavior induced by the audiovisual inputs, the transformed representations are used for TL. We demonstrate that our brain-mediated TL (BTL) shows higher performance in the label estimation than the standard TL. In addition, we illustrate that the estimations mediated by different brains vary from brain to brain, and the variability reflects the individual variability in perception. Thus, our BTL provides a framework to improve the generalization ability of machine-learning feature representations and enable machine learning to estimate human-like cognition and behavior, including individual variability

DanceReProducer: An Automatic Mashup Music Video Generation System by Reusing Dance Video Clips on the Web

(Abstract to follow

Musical Typicality: How Many Similar Songs Exist?.

[TODO] Add abstract here

The Dry Matter Yield and Nutritive Value of Wet Tolerant Tropical Forage Legumes in Single Cropping or Mixed Cropping with Gramineous Forage Crops in Drained Paddy Field

In Japan the production of rice has been controlled since the 1970\u27s and some parts of the paddy fields have been laid off for forage production. However, in poorly-drained fields or fields with high ground water table, forage species with high tolerance of wet conditions are required. The tropical forage legumes Aeschynomene americana cv. Glenn (Glenn) and Macroptilium lathyroides (L.) Urb. cv. Murray (phasey bean) have a high wet endurance (Bishop et al., 1985; Tobisa et al., 1999) and show high dry matter productivity (Skerman et al., 1988; Tobisa et al., 1999). The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the dry matter yield and nutritive value of Glenn and phasey bean in single cropping or mixed cropping with gramineous forage crops in drained paddy fields

Regulation of human aryl hydrocarbon receptor and dihydrofolate reductase expression by RNA editing

13301甲第4522号博士（創薬科学）金沢大学博士論文本文Full 以下に掲載：1.Journal of Biological Chemistry 291(2) pp.894-901 2017. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 共著者：Masataka Nakano, Tatsuki Fukami, Saki Gotoh, Masataka Takamiya, Yasuhiro Aoki, Miki Nakajima 2.Journal of Biological Chemistry inpress. American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 共著者：Masataka Nakano, Tatsuki Fukami, Saki Gotoh, Miki Nakajim

Stability of vacancies in β-type Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion

The structural instability in the β-type titanium alloys could affect the stability of vacancies. The stability of vacancies in a β-type Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al alloy, fabricated via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), was investigated using positron annihilation spectroscopy and first-principles calculations. The observed positron lifetimes were close to the experimental and calculated bulk lifetime of Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al, which indicates that vacancies were not detected in Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al by positron lifetime measurements. Therefore, for the first time, it has been confirmed that quenched-in vacancies are not introduced in the LPBF-manufactured β-type Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al despite the fast cooling rate in LPBF process. This feature is preferable for the structural stability in biomedical and industrial applications. The calculated atomic displacement from the ideal bcc lattice positions decreased in β-type Ti-Mo alloys with increasing Mo concentration, indicating that the bcc structure was stabilized by the added Mo. The calculated vacancy formation energies of Ti atoms in β-type Ti-14.5Mo and Ti-27.0Mo alloys exhibited an increasing trend with an increasing number of neighboring Mo atoms. Mo atoms also increased the migration energies of the neighboring paths of vacancies. The calculated results for Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al suggest that, while the bcc structure was stabilized by the Mo atoms in Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al, the migration and formation energies were still low enough for the diffusion of vacancies.Mizuno M., Sugita K., Do K., et al. Stability of vacancies in β-type Ti-15Mo-5Zr-3Al alloy fabricated via laser powder bed fusion. Additive Manufacturing Letters 7, 100162 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addlet.2023.100162

A-to-I RNA editing up-regulates human dihydrofolate reductase in breast cancer

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) plays a key role in folate metabolism and is a target molecule of methotrexate. An increase in the cellular expression level of DHFR is one of the mechanisms of tumor resistance to methotrexate. The present study investigated the possibility that adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing, which causes nucleotide conversion by adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes, might modulate DHFR expression. In human breast adenocarcinoma-derived MCF-7 cells, 26 RNA editing sites were identified in the 3′-UTR of DHFR. Knockdown of ADAR1 decreased the RNA editing levels of DHFR and resulted in a decrease in the DHFR mRNA and protein levels, indicating that ADAR1 up-regulates DHFR expression. Using a computational analysis, miR-25-3p and miR-125a-3p were predicted to bind to the non-edited 3′-UTR of DHFR but not to the edited sequence. The decrease in DHFR expression by the knockdown of ADAR1 was restored by transfection of antisense oligonucleotides for these miRNAs, suggesting that RNA editing mediated up-regulation of DHFR requires the function of these miRNAs. Interestingly, we observed that the knockdown of ADAR1 decreased cell viability and increased the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells to methotrexate. ADAR1 expression levels and the RNA editing levels in the 3′-UTR of DHFR in breast cancer tissues were higher than those in adjacent normal tissues. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that ADAR1 positively regulates the expression of DHFR by editing the miR-25-3p and miR-125a-3p binding sites in the 3′-UTR of DHFR, enhancing cellular proliferation and resistance to methotrexate. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.Embargo Period 12 month

Significance of A-to-I RNA editing of transcripts modulating pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics

金沢大学医薬保健研究域薬学系RNA editing is a post-transcriptional process that alters the nucleotide sequence of RNA transcripts to generate transcriptome diversity. Among the various types of RNA editing, adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing is the most frequent type of RNA editing in mammals. Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes, ADAR1 and ADAR2, convert adenosines in double-stranded RNA structures into inosines by hydrolytic deamination. Inosine forms a base pair with cytidine as if it were guanosine; therefore, the conversion may affect the amino acid sequence, splicing, microRNA targeting, and miRNA maturation. It became apparent that disrupted RNA editing or abnormal ADAR expression is associated with several diseases including cancer, neurological disorders, metabolic diseases, viral infections, and autoimmune disorders. The biological significance of RNA editing in pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD)-related genes is starting to be demonstrated. The authors conducted pioneering studies to reveal that RNA editing modulates drug metabolism potencies in the human liver, as well as the response of cancer cells to chemotherapy agents. Awareness of the importance of RNA editing in drug therapy is growing. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the RNA editing that affects the expression and function of drug response-related genes. Continuing studies on the RNA editing that regulates pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics would provide new beneficial information for personalized medicine. © 2017 Elsevier Inc.Embargo Period 12 month