255 research outputs found
Video Object Segmentation using Point-based Memory Network
Recent years have witnessed the prevalence of memory-based methods for Semi-supervised Video Object Segmentation (SVOS) which utilise past frames efficiently for label propagation. When conducting feature matching, fine-grained multi-scale feature matching has typically been performed using all query points, which inevitably results in redundant computations and thus makes the fusion of multi-scale results ineffective. In this paper, we develop a new Point-based Memory Network, termed as PMNet, to perform fine-grained feature matching on hard samples only, assuming that easy samples can already obtain satisfactory matching results without the need for complicated multi-scale feature matching. Our approach first generates an uncertainty map from the initial decoding outputs. Next, the fine-grained features at uncertain locations are sampled to match the memory features on the same scale. Finally, the matching results are further decoded to provide a refined output. The point-based scheme works with the coarsest feature matching in a complementary and efficient manner. Furthermore, we propose an approach to adaptively perform global or regional matching based on the motion history of memory points, making our method more robust against ambiguous backgrounds. Experimental results on several benchmark datasets demonstrate the superiority of our proposed method over state-of-the-art methods
Virus-induced gene silencing of TaERECTA increases stomatal density in bread wheat
Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV)-based virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) is an effective strategy for rapid determination of functional genes in wheat plants. ERECTA genes are reported to regulate stomatal pattern of plants, and manipulation of TaERECTA (a homologue of ERECTA in bread wheat) is a potential route for investigating stomatal development. Here, the leucine-rich repeat domains (LRRs) and transmembrane domains of TaERECTA were selected to gain BSMV:ER-LR and BSMV:ER-TM constructs, respectively, targeting TaERECTA for silencing in wheat cultivars ‘Bobwhite’ and ‘Cadenza’, to identify the function of TaERECTA on stomatal patterns. The results showed that reduced expression of TaERECTA caused an increased stomatal and epidermal cell density by average 13.5% and 3.3%, respectively, due to the significantly reduced size of leaf epidermal and stomatal cells, and this led to an increase in stomatal conductance. These suggest that modulation of TaERECTA offers further opportunities in stomatal engineering for the adaptation of photosynthesis in wheat
Fast geometric gate operation of superconducting charge qubits in circuit QED
A scheme for coupling superconducting charge qubits via a one-dimensional
superconducting transmission line resonator is proposed. The qubits are working
at their optimal points, where they are immune to the charge noise and possess
long decoherence time. Analysis on the dynamical time evolution of the
interaction is presented, which is shown to be insensitive to the initial state
of the resonator field. This scheme enables fast gate operation and is readily
scalable to multiqubit scenario
Differential transport and local translation of cytoskeletal, injury-response, and neurodegeneration protein mRNAs in axons
Recent studies have begun to focus on the signals that regulate axonal protein synthesis and the functional significance of localized protein synthesis. However, identification of proteins that are synthesized in mammalian axons has been mainly based on predictions. Here,weusedaxonspurifiedfromculturesofinjury-conditionedadultdorsalrootganglion(DRG)neuronsandproteomicsmethodology to identify axonally synthesized proteins. Reverse transcription (RT)-PCR from axonal preparations was used to confirm that the mRNA for each identified protein extended into the DRG axons. Proteins and the encoding mRNAs for the cytoskeletal proteins �-actin, peripherin, vimentin, �-tropomyosin 3, and cofilin 1 were present in the axonal preparations. In addition to the cytoskeletal elements, several heat shock proteins (HSP27, HSP60, HSP70, grp75, �B crystallin), resident endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proteins (calreticulin, grp78/BiP, ERp29), proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases (ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase L1, rat ortholog of human DJ-1/Park7, �-synuclein, superoxide dismutase 1), anti-oxidant proteins (peroxiredoxins 1 and 6), and metabolic proteins (e.g., phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK 1), � enolase, aldolase C/Zebrin II) were included among the axonally synthesized proteins. Detection of the mRNAs encoding each of the axonally synthesized proteins identified by mass spectrometry in the axonal compartment indicates that th
Microbial modulation in the biomass and toxin production of a red-tide causing alga
The effect of S10, a strain of marine bacteria isolated from sediment in the Western Xiamen Sea, on the growth and paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) production in the alga Alexandrium tamarense (A. tamarense) was studied under controlled experimental conditions.The results of these experiments have shown that the growth of A. tamarense is obviously inhibited by S10 at high concentrations,however no evident effect on its growth was observed at low concentrations. Its PSP production was also inhibited by S10 at different concentrations, especially at low concentrations. The toxicity of this strain of A. tamarense is about (0.95– 12.14) • 10-6 MU/cell, a peak toxicity value of 12.14 • 10-6 MU/cell appeared on the 14th day, after which levels decreased gradually.The alga grew well in conditions of pH 6–8 and salinities of 20–34‰. The toxicity of the alga varied markedly at different pH and salinity levels. Toxicity decreased as pH increased, while it increased with salinity and reached a peak value at a salinity of 30‰,after which it declined gradually. S10 at a concentration of 1.02 • 109 cells/ml inhibited growth and the PSP production of A. tamarense at different pH and salinity levels. S10 had the strongest inhibitory function on the growth of A. tamarense under conditions of pH 7 and a salinity of 34‰. The best inhibitory effect on PSP production by A. tamarense was at pH 7, this inhibitory effect on PSP production did not relate to salinity. Interactions between marine bacteria and A. tamarense were also investigated using the flow cytometer technique (FCM) as well as direct microscope counting. S10 was identified as being a member of the genus Bacillus, the difference in 16S rDNA between S10 and Bacillus halmapalus was only 2%. The mechanism involved in the inhibition of growth and PSP production of A. tamarense by this strain of marine bacteria, and the prospect of using it and other marine bacteria in the biocontrol of red-tides was discussed
Dispersive Manipulation of Paired Superconducting Qubits
We combine the ideas of qubit encoding and dispersive dynamics to enable
robust and easy quantum information processing (QIP) on paired superconducting
charge boxes sharing a common bias lead. We establish a decoherence free
subspace on these and introduce universal gates by dispersive interaction with
a LC resonator and inductive couplings between the encoded qubits. These gates
preserve the code space and only require the established local symmetry and the
control of the voltage bias.Comment: 5 pages, incl. 1 figur
ACTIVATION OF DIFFERENT CEREBRAL FUNCTIONAL REGIONS FOLLOWING ACUPUNCTURE AT BOT H TAIXI AND TAICHONG ACUPOINTS AND TAIXI ACUPOINTALONE: AN FMRI STUDY
Background: To explore the brain function regions characteristics of the acupoint combination, this study observed activity changes in the brain
regions of healthy volunteers after acupuncture at both Taixi (KI3) and Taichong (LR3) (KI3 + LR3) and KI3 alone using resting-state functional
magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
Methods and Materials: 30 healthy volunteers were randomly allocated into two groups, one group received acupuncture at KI3 and LR3, the
other only acupuncture at KI3, 15 cases in each group. All volunteers underwent resting-state fMRI of the brain 15 minutes before acupuncture,
and which the needle was retained in place for 30 minutes; 15 minutes after withdrawing the needle underwent a further session of resting-state
fMRI. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) were used to analyze the changes in brain regions.
Results: The KI3+LR3 group compared with the KI3 group, the ALFF analysis indicated that the brain changes relatively concentrated in BA 2,
3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20, 31, 32, 40, 46 and the cerebellum posterior lobe, the ReHo analysis indicated that the brain changes relatively
concentrated in BA 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 31, 40 and the cerebellum posterior lobe.
Conclusion: Based on this study, compared with acupuncture at KI3, acupuncture at KI3 + LR3 which could specifically influence BA 7, 10, 18,
19, 20, 31, 40 and cerebellum posterior lobe, which may be related to synergy mechanism of two acupoints combination treatment
Quantum Computing in the Presence of Detected Spontaneous Emission
A new method for quantum computation in the presence of detected spontaneous
emission is proposed. The method combines strong and fast (dynamical
decoupling) pulses and a quantum error correcting code that encodes logical
qubits into only physical qubits. Universal fault-tolerant quantum
computation is shown to be possible in this scheme using Hamiltonians relevant
to a range of promising proposals for the physical implementation of quantum
computers.Comment: 7 pages, no figures. This version corrects an error in the
description of spontaneous emission in the quantum jumps picture. As a
consequence the error correcting code and some aspects of the preparation,
computation, and recovery operations have been modified. The main conclusions
of the published paper remain intact. An erratum will be published shortly in
Phys. Rev. A, detailing all the corrections required in the published paper.
The present version includes all these corrections in the body of the pape
Effects of polysaccharide from Ophiopogon japonicus on immune response to Newcastle disease vaccine in chicken
- …