Simple parameter-free self-attention approximation

The hybrid model of self-attention and convolution is one of the methods to lighten ViT. The quadratic computational complexity of self-attention with respect to token length limits the efficiency of ViT on edge devices. We propose a self-attention approximation without training parameters, called SPSA, which captures global spatial features with linear complexity. To verify the effectiveness of SPSA combined with convolution, we conduct extensive experiments on image classification and object detection tasks

Development of a SCAR Marker for Rapid Identification of New Kentucky Bluegrass Breeding Lines

As a commonly used turfgrass, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) (KBG) has many commercially available cultivars for production. After several years of screening, two new lines were obtained (‘KBG03’ and ‘KBG04’), which have high tolerance to summer. The study showed that the two lines revealed similar morphological characteristics, with light green leaf color, narrow leaf blade, high plant height and light 1,000-grain weight. A total of 400 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) primers and 256 sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) primer combinations were screened among the two lines and other 4 imported commercial cultivars. The percentages of polymorphic sites were 65.5% (RAPD) and 22.6% (SRAP) respectively. By cluster analysis of RAPD and SRAP data, the dendrogram at a similarity of 0.29 gave two main clusters, of which one group had 4 commercial cultivars, and the other had the two new breeding lines. Furthermore, one specific band of ‘KBG04’ was successfully converted into a dominant sequence characterized amplified region marker (SCAR196). Then the SCAR marker was verified by 39 KBG DNA samples, including imported varieties, domestic varieties and self-breeding lines of our laboratory, and it exhibited high consistency with the original RAPD polymorphic amplification. The results showed that the SCAR marker can be used to distinguish the new line ‘KBG04’ from numerous KBG germplasms, which would be useful for cultivar identification and property rights protection in the future

An animal model of SARS produced by infection of Macaca mulatta with SARS coronavirus.

A new SARS animal model was established by inoculating SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) into rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) through the nasal cavity. Pathological pulmonary changes were successively detected on days 5-60 after virus inoculation. All eight animals showed a transient fever 2-3 days after inoculation. Immunological, molecular biological, and pathological studies support the establishment of this SARS animal model. Firstly, SARS-CoV-specific IgGs were detected in the sera of macaques from 11 to 60 days after inoculation. Secondly, SARS-CoV RNA could be detected in pharyngeal swab samples using nested RT-PCR in all infected animals from 5 days after virus inoculation. Finally, histopathological changes of interstitial pneumonia were found in the lungs during the 60 days after viral inoculation: these changes were less marked at later time points, indicating that an active healing process together with resolution of an acute inflammatory response was taking place in these animals. This animal model should provide insight into the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-related pulmonary disease and greatly facilitate the development of vaccines and therapeutics against SARS

Autophagy Plays an Essential Role in Mediating Regression of Hypertrophy during Unloading of the Heart

Autophagy is a bulk degradation mechanism for cytosolic proteins and organelles. The heart undergoes hypertrophy in response to mechanical load but hypertrophy can regress upon unloading. We hypothesize that autophagy plays an important role in mediating regression of cardiac hypertrophy during unloading. Mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC) for 1 week, after which the constriction was removed (DeTAC). Regression of cardiac hypertrophy was observed after DeTAC, as indicated by reduction of LVW/BW and cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area. Indicators of autophagy, including LC3-II expression, p62 degradation and GFP-LC3 dots/cell, were significantly increased after DeTAC, suggesting that autophagy is induced. Stimulation of autophagy during DeTAC was accompanied by upregulation of FoxO1. Upregulation of FoxO1 and autophagy was also observed in vitro when cultured cardiomyocytes were subjected to mechanical stretch followed by incubation without stretch (de-stretch). Transgenic mice with cardiac-specific overexpression of FoxO1 exhibited smaller hearts and upregulation of autophagy. Overexpression of FoxO1 in cultured cardiomyocytes significantly reduced cell size, an effect which was attenuated when autophagy was inhibited. To further examine the role of autophagy and FoxO1 in mediating the regression of cardiac hypertrophy, beclin1+/2 mice and cultured cardiomyocytes transduced with adenoviruses harboring shRNA-beclin1 or shRNA-FoxO1 were subjected to TAC/ stretch followed by DeTAC/de-stretch. Regression of cardiac hypertrophy achieved after DeTAC/de-stretch was significantly attenuated when autophagy was suppressed through downregulation of beclin1 or FoxO1. These results suggest that autophagy and FoxO1 play an essential role in mediating regression of cardiac hypertrophy during mechanical unloading

The More Similar, the Healthier: The Effect of Perceived Parent-Child Facial Resemblance on Parental Physical Health

Parent-child facial resemblance (PCFR) is one of the direct cues used to assess the genetic relationship between two individuals. Due to the inner fertilization of humans, fathers are liable to suffer from paternal uncertainty. When a father perceives low father-child facial resemblance, he would become anxious, which is detrimental to his immune system and physical health. For a mother, however, she can assure her genetic relationship to her children and does not need any external cues to verify her maternity. Thus, the mother-child facial resemblance does not influence the mothers’ physical health. To test these hypotheses, we examined the moderating effect of parental gender and the mediating effect of trait anxiety on the relationship between PCFR and physical health of parents. The results showed that fathers’ PCFR positively predicted their physical health, whereas the mothers’ PCFR failed to show any predicting effect on mothers’ physical health. Furthermore, trait anxiety mediated the relationship between fathers’ PCFR and their physical health. The implications for paternal uncertainty, gender difference, and public policy were discussed