Gender Recognition Using a Gaze-Guided Self-Attention Mechanism Robust Against Background Bias in Training Samples

We propose an attention mechanism in deep learning networks for gender recognition using the gaze distribution of human observers when they judge the gender of people in pedestrian images. Prevalent attention mechanisms spatially compute the correlation among values of all cells in an input feature map to calculate attention weights. If a large bias in the background of pedestrian images (e.g., test samples and training samples containing different backgrounds) is present, the attention weights learned using the prevalent attention mechanisms are affected by the bias, which in turn reduces the accuracy of gender recognition. To avoid this problem, we incorporate an attention mechanism called gaze-guided self-attention (GSA) that is inspired by human visual attention. Our method assigns spatially suitable attention weights to each input feature map using the gaze distribution of human observers. In particular, GSA yields promising results even when using training samples with the background bias. The results of experiments on publicly available datasets confirm that our GSA, using the gaze distribution, is more accurate in gender recognition than currently available attention-based methods in the case of background bias between training and test samples

Extracting discriminative features using task-oriented gaze maps measured from observers for personal attribute classification

We discuss how to reveal and use the gaze locations of observers who view pedestrian images for personal attribute classification. Observers look at informative regions when attempting to classify the attributes of pedestrians in images. Thus, we hypothesize that the regions in which observers’ gaze locations are clustered will contain discriminative features for the classifiers of personal attributes. Our method acquires the distribution of gaze locations from several observers while they perform the task of manually classifying each personal attribute. We term this distribution a task-oriented gaze map. To extract discriminative features, we assign large weights to the region with a cluster of gaze locations in the task-oriented gaze map. In our experiments, observers mainly looked at different regions of body parts when classifying each personal attribute. Furthermore, our experiments show that the gaze-based feature extraction method significantly improved the performance of personal attribute classification when combined with a convolutional neural network or metric learning technique

Nano-Material Manipulation and Structural Order Control with Optical Forces

金沢大学理工研究域物質化学系レーザーを小さく絞ることでできる光圧を利用すると、目で見えないような微粒子が摘めるなど、ミクロな物質の操作が実現されてきた。本研究では、拡散係数や熱膨張係数といった分子の揺らぎと直結する性質を光圧下で計測することによって、より小さなナノ物質である生体分子や分子集合体の揺らぎに光圧がどのような効果をもたらしているのかを明らかにし、その揺らぎを制御することを目指す。本研究では、溶液中における分子の拡散や熱力学量を短時間で定量できる過渡回折格子（ＴＧ）測定を光圧下で行うことにより、これらのダイナミクスが光圧によりどのような影響を受けるのかを明らかにする。研究初年度である本年度では、過渡回折格子測定を光圧実験系と融合した測定系（光圧ＴＧ測定系）の構築に取り組んだ。この際、光圧環境にあるナノ物質をTG測定で選択的に検出するために、通常のレーザー集光による光圧ではなく、干渉縞により光圧を発生させる光学系を構築した。金ナノ粒子、銀ナノ粒子（直径５０ｎｍ）を対象とした回折実験によって、この光圧を導入した際に期待された粒子の濃度変調が確認され、光圧が機能することを実証できた。この光圧が金属ナノ粒子生成反応にもたらす効果を検証した。光還元による銀ナノ粒子生成反応にＴＧ測定を適用した結果、反応開始１ミリ秒以降で観測された粒径（直径＞１ｎｍ）の増加に関しては、光圧を導入することで促進されることが明らかとなった。また、光圧の干渉縞のパターンを変えることによりナノ粒子の成長を抑制できることも確認された。同様の実験を金ナノ粒子に対して行った結果、ナノ粒子反応の促進や抑制を同様に観測することができた。上記の結果によって、光圧によって金属ナノ粒子生成反応を制御できることが示されるとともに、光圧の効果がナノ粒子生成においてどのサイズから優位に現れるのかを明らかにすることができた。研究課題/領域番号:19H04674, 研究期間(年度):2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31出典：研究課題「光圧下におけるナノ物質の揺らぎ計測と反応制御」課題番号19H04674（KAKEN：科学研究費助成事業データベース（国立情報学研究所）） （https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/ja/grant/KAKENHI-PUBLICLY-19H04674/）を加工して作

Isorhamnetin Promotes 53BP1 Recruitment through the Enhancement of ATM Phosphorylation and Protects Mice from Radiation Gastrointestinal Syndrome

Flavonoids are a subclass of polyphenols which are attractive, due to possessing various physiological activities, including a radioprotective effect. Tumor suppressor p53 is a primary regulator in the radiation response and is involved in the pathogenesis of radiation injuries. In this study, we revealed that isorhamnetin inhibited radiation cell death, and investigated its action mechanism focusing on DNA damage response. Although isorhamnetin moderated p53 activity, it promoted phosphorylation of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and enhanced 53BP1 recruitment in irradiated cells. The radioprotective effect of isorhamnetin was not observed in the presence of ATM inhibitor, indicating that its protective effect was dependent on ATM. Furthermore, isorhamnetin-treated mice survived gastrointestinal death caused by a lethal dose of abdominal irradiation. These findings suggested that isorhamnetin enhances the ATM-dependent DNA repair process, which is presumably associated with the suppressive effect against GI syndrome

A Novel RNA Synthesis Inhibitor, STK160830, Has Negligible DNA-Intercalating Activity for Triggering A p53 Response, and Can Inhibit p53-Dependent Apoptosis

RNA synthesis inhibitors and protein synthesis inhibitors are useful for investigating whether biological events with unknown mechanisms require transcription or translation; however, the dependence of RNA synthesis has been difficult to verify because many RNA synthesis inhibitors cause adverse events that trigger a p53 response. In this study, we screened a library containing 9600 core compounds and obtained STK160830 that shows anti-apoptotic effects in irradiated wild-type-p53-bearing human T-cell leukemia MOLT-4 cells and murine thymocytes. In many of the p53-impaired cells and p53-knockdown cells tested, STK160830 did not show a remarkable anti-apoptotic effect, suggesting that the anti-apoptotic activity is p53-dependent. In the expression analysis of p53, p53-target gene products, and reference proteins by immunoblotting, STK160830 down-regulated the expression of many of the proteins examined, and the downregulation correlated strongly with its inhibitory effect on cell death. mRNA expression analyses by qPCR and nascent RNA capture kit revealed that STK160830 showed a decreased mRNA expression, which was similar to that induced by the RNA synthesis inhibitor actinomycin D but differed to some extent. Furthermore, unlike other RNA synthesis inhibitors such as actinomycin D, p53 accumulation by STK160830 alone was negligible, and a DNA melting-curve analysis showed very weak DNA-intercalating activity, indicating that STK160830 is a useful inhibitor for RNA synthesis without triggering p53-mediated damage responses

Aggregation-Induced Emission of Water-Soluble Tetraphenylethene Derivatives at Polarized Liquid|Liquid Interfaces

金沢大学物質化学系Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behavior of water-soluble tetraphenylethene (TPE) derivatives bearing carboxy and sulfo groups was studied at polarized liquid|liquid interfaces. The aggregation behavior of TPE derivatives in solution and at the water|1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface was highly dependent on their ionizable functional groups. Spectroelectrochemical analysis elucidated that the TPE derivatives were transferred across the interface accompanied by the adsorption process at the interface. The ion transfer and interfacial AIE features of TPEs responded reversibly to the externally applied potential, indicating no rigid crystalline structure formation in the interfacial region. The red shift measured in intense interfacial emission spectra demonstrated that the carboxylate derivatives formed their J-aggregates specifically at the polarized water|DCE interface, while the aggregation processes with distinguishable emission properties took place in both the interfacial region and organic solution in the sulfonate derivative system. The AIE features were also investigated at a glycerophospholipid-adsorbed interface as a model of the biomembrane surface. The aggregation process of TPE derivatives was significantly modified through the interaction with phospholipid layers which stimulate the interfacial AIE process of tetra-anionic TPEs.Embargo Period 12 monthsThis paper has a Supplementary material

Time-, Sex-, and Dose-Dependent Alterations of the Gut Microbiota by Consumption of Dietary Daikenchuto (TU-100)

Medications or dietary components can affect both the host and the host’s gut microbiota. Changes in the microbiota may influence medication efficacy and interactions. Daikenchuto (TU-100), a herbal medication, comprised of ginger, ginseng, and Japanese pepper, is widely used in Japanese traditional Kampo medicine for intestinal motility and postoperative paralytic ileus. We previously showed in mice that consumption of TU-100 for 4 weeks changed the gut microbiota and increased bioavailability of bacterial ginsenoside metabolites. Since TU-100 is prescribed in humans for months to years, we examined the time- and sex-dependent effects of TU-100 on mouse gut microbiota. Oral administration of 1.5% TU-100 for 24 weeks caused more pronounced changes in gut microbiota in female than in male mice. Changes in both sexes largely reverted to baseline upon TU-100 withdrawal. Effects were time and dose dependent. The microbial profiles reverted to baseline within 4 weeks after withdrawal of 0.75% TU-100 but were sustained after withdrawal of 3% TU-100. In summary, dietary TU-100 changed mouse microbiota in a time-, sex-, and dose-dependent manner. These findings may be taken into consideration when determining optimizing dose for conditions of human health and disease with the consideration of differences in composition and response of the human intestinal microbiota

Ion transfer and adsorption of water-soluble metal complexes of 8-hydroxyquinoline derivatives at the water|1,2-dichloroethane interface

金沢大学理工研究域物質化学系The transfer mechanism and adsorption state of water-soluble 8-quinolinolate complexes were studied at the water|1,2-dichloroethane interface by electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques. The interfacial affinities of the metal complexes of 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonate (QS) were estimated as , > . Potential modulated fluorescence spectroscopy revealed the potential-driven process of fluorescent QS complexes, where Al(III) and Zn(II) complexes were transferred across the interface accompanied by the adsorption at the aqueous side of the interface. The adsorption state and preferential molecular orientation of these complexes were analyzed in detail by polarization-modulation total internal reflection fluorescence (PM-TIRF) spectroscopy. The PM-TIRF results showed that the square-planar 1:2 complexes, and , were oriented relatively in parallel to the interface and approximately identical to the aqueous species. The adsorption behavior of the Zn(II) complex of tridentate 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylate (QC) ligand was also investigated, and exhibited a strong interfacial affinity with intermediate spectral features between the aqueous and organic species.Embargo Period 12 monthsThis paper has a Supplementary material