{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4321488077","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tmi.2023.3247814","title":"The Lighter the Better: Rethinking Transformers in Medical Image Segmentation Through Adaptive Pruning","display_name":"The Lighter the Better: Rethinking Transformers in Medical Image Segmentation Through Adaptive Pruning","publication_year":2023,"publication_date":"2023-02-22","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4321488077","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tmi.2023.3247814","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37027664"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/tmi.2023.3247814","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tmi.2023.3247814","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S58069681","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging","issn_l":"0278-0062","issn":["0278-0062","1558-254X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100450509","display_name":"Xian Lin","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8291-4823"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I47720641","display_name":"Huazhong University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/00p991c53","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I47720641"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Xian Lin","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Electronic Information and Communications, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8291-4823","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Electronic Information and Communications, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I47720641"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5100739349","display_name":"Li Yu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5060-2558"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I47720641","display_name":"Huazhong University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/00p991c53","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I47720641"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Li Yu","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Electronic Information and Communications, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5060-2558","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Electronic Information and Communications, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I47720641"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5077687075","display_name":"Kwang\u2010Ting Cheng","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3885-4912"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I200769079","display_name":"Hong Kong University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/00q4vv597","country_code":"HK","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I200769079"]}],"countries":["HK"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kwang-Ting Cheng","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3885-4912","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I200769079"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5079057344","display_name":"Zengqiang Yan","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2039-3863"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I47720641","display_name":"Huazhong University of Science and Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/00p991c53","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I47720641"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zengqiang Yan","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Electronic Information and Communications, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2039-3863","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Electronic Information and Communications, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I47720641"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":4,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5100450509"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I47720641"],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":7.704,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":68,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.98227158,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":90,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":"42","issue":"8","first_page":"2325","last_page":"2337"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10036","display_name":"Advanced Neural Network Applications","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10036","display_name":"Advanced Neural Network Applications","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10052","display_name":"Medical Image Segmentation Techniques","score":0.9993000030517578,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11307","display_name":"Domain Adaptation and Few-Shot Learning","score":0.9983000159263611,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.7259910106658936},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/artificial-intelligence","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","score":0.5903295278549194},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/transformer","display_name":"Transformer","score":0.5467866063117981},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/image-segmentation","display_name":"Image segmentation","score":0.5022547245025635},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/segmentation","display_name":"Segmentation","score":0.49676233530044556},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/embedding","display_name":"Embedding","score":0.43005406856536865},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/machine-learning","display_name":"Machine learning","score":0.3932223320007324},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-vision","display_name":"Computer vision","score":0.35586869716644287},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/pattern-recognition","display_name":"Pattern recognition (psychology)","score":0.3417772948741913},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/engineering","display_name":"Engineering","score":0.10387089848518372}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.7259910106658936},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.5903295278549194},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C66322947","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11658","display_name":"Transformer","level":3,"score":0.5467866063117981},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124504099","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56933","display_name":"Image segmentation","level":3,"score":0.5022547245025635},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C89600930","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1423946","display_name":"Segmentation","level":2,"score":0.49676233530044556},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41608201","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q980509","display_name":"Embedding","level":2,"score":0.43005406856536865},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.3932223320007324},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31972630","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q844240","display_name":"Computer vision","level":1,"score":0.35586869716644287},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153180895","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7148389","display_name":"Pattern recognition (psychology)","level":2,"score":0.3417772948741913},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127413603","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11023","display_name":"Engineering","level":0,"score":0.10387089848518372},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C165801399","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25428","display_name":"Voltage","level":2,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119599485","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q43035","display_name":"Electrical engineering","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[{"descriptor_ui":"D003952","descriptor_name":"Diagnostic Imaging","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D003952","descriptor_name":"Diagnostic Imaging","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D003952","descriptor_name":"Diagnostic Imaging","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D016011","descriptor_name":"Normal Distribution","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D016011","descriptor_name":"Normal Distribution","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D016011","descriptor_name":"Normal Distribution","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false}],"locations_count":3,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/tmi.2023.3247814","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tmi.2023.3247814","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S58069681","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging","issn_l":"0278-0062","issn":["0278-0062","1558-254X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmid:37027664","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37027664","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE transactions on medical imaging","raw_type":null},{"id":"pmh:oai:repository.hkust.edu.hk:1783.1-126908","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://repository.hkust.edu.hk/ir/Record/1783.1-126908","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401796","display_name":"Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I200769079","host_organization_name":"Hong Kong University of Science and Technology","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I200769079"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"","raw_type":"Article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G3236001388","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62271220","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G3578521231","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"2022CFB585","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320322186","funder_display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G4807655739","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"16203319","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321592","funder_display_name":"Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G481671389","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"N_HKUST627/20","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G8019045571","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62202179","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","ror":"https://ror.org/01h0zpd94"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321592","display_name":"Research Grants Council, University Grants Committee","ror":"https://ror.org/00djwmt25"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320322186","display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province","ror":null}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":81,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1901129140","https://openalex.org/W2888358068","https://openalex.org/W2907750714","https://openalex.org/W2921406441","https://openalex.org/W2932083555","https://openalex.org/W2981818065","https://openalex.org/W3013198566","https://openalex.org/W3014974815","https://openalex.org/W3088257970","https://openalex.org/W3096609285","https://openalex.org/W3096812112","https://openalex.org/W3102785203","https://openalex.org/W3112701542","https://openalex.org/W3127751679","https://openalex.org/W3132503749","https://openalex.org/W3134565071","https://openalex.org/W3137278571","https://openalex.org/W3137963805","https://openalex.org/W3138516171","https://openalex.org/W3160284783","https://openalex.org/W3167695527","https://openalex.org/W3168124404","https://openalex.org/W3168491317","https://openalex.org/W3170841864","https://openalex.org/W3172509117","https://openalex.org/W3174402370","https://openalex.org/W3178812510","https://openalex.org/W3182372246","https://openalex.org/W3186019569","https://openalex.org/W3194959296","https://openalex.org/W3198035652","https://openalex.org/W3199613405","https://openalex.org/W3200640732","https://openalex.org/W3202542211","https://openalex.org/W3203480968","https://openalex.org/W3203841574","https://openalex.org/W3204166336","https://openalex.org/W3204255739","https://openalex.org/W3204614423","https://openalex.org/W3204700807","https://openalex.org/W3205816419","https://openalex.org/W3212933375","https://openalex.org/W4200015473","https://openalex.org/W4212875960","https://openalex.org/W4221144362","https://openalex.org/W4225365588","https://openalex.org/W4225912841","https://openalex.org/W4226052632","https://openalex.org/W4281489883","https://openalex.org/W4297812995","https://openalex.org/W4302363625","https://openalex.org/W4313527261","https://openalex.org/W4320085508","https://openalex.org/W4385245566","https://openalex.org/W6639824700","https://openalex.org/W6739901393","https://openalex.org/W6761152059","https://openalex.org/W6767471576","https://openalex.org/W6778485988","https://openalex.org/W6786394082","https://openalex.org/W6790275670","https://openalex.org/W6791481479","https://openalex.org/W6791705549","https://openalex.org/W6795297120","https://openalex.org/W6795435739","https://openalex.org/W6796370697","https://openalex.org/W6796494063","https://openalex.org/W6796580215","https://openalex.org/W6796767996","https://openalex.org/W6797326647","https://openalex.org/W6797629065","https://openalex.org/W6799370480","https://openalex.org/W6800633732","https://openalex.org/W6801350836","https://openalex.org/W6801589178","https://openalex.org/W6810383526","https://openalex.org/W6810511032","https://openalex.org/W6810673825","https://openalex.org/W6838271186","https://openalex.org/W6849541326","https://openalex.org/W6850848131"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2517104666","https://openalex.org/W2005437358","https://openalex.org/W1669643531","https://openalex.org/W2008656436","https://openalex.org/W2134924024","https://openalex.org/W2023558673","https://openalex.org/W2110230079","https://openalex.org/W1982826852","https://openalex.org/W2613186388","https://openalex.org/W1967061043"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Vision":[0],"transformers":[1,36,66,164],"have":[2],"recently":[3],"set":[4],"off":[5],"a":[6,73,167,235],"new":[7],"wave":[8],"in":[9,37],"the":[10,33,43,86,108,120,140,145,151,161,171,187,205,212],"field":[11],"of":[12,35,45,100,110,122,154,163,209],"medical":[13,68,93],"image":[14,69,94],"analysis":[15,95],"due":[16],"to":[17,61,65,106,118,128,159],"their":[18,46],"remarkable":[19],"performance":[20,196,208,239],"on":[21,32,89,200,241],"various":[22],"computer":[23],"vision":[24],"tasks.":[25,96],"However,":[26],"recent":[27],"hybrid-/transformer-based":[28,243],"approaches":[29],"mainly":[30],"focus":[31],"benefits":[34],"capturing":[38],"long-range":[39],"dependency":[40,111,142],"while":[41],"ignoring":[42],"issues":[44],"daunting":[47],"computational":[48],"complexity,":[49],"high":[50],"training":[51,162],"costs,":[52],"and":[53,71,75,125,132,137,144,156,165,181,195,219],"redundant":[54,130],"dependency.":[55],"In":[56],"this":[57,84],"paper,":[58],"we":[59,224],"propose":[60,72],"employ":[62],"adaptive":[63,126,176,230],"pruning":[64,91,127,173,231],"for":[67,92,170,191,238],"segmentation":[70,207],"lightweight":[74],"effective":[76],"hybrid":[77],"network":[78],"APFormer.":[79],"To":[80],"our":[81],"best":[82],"knowledge,":[83],"is":[85,183,246],"first":[87],"work":[88,233],"transformer":[90,177],"The":[97],"key":[98],"features":[99],"APFormer":[101,210],"are":[102],"self-regularized":[103],"self-attention":[104,155],"(SSA)":[105],"improve":[107],"convergence":[109],"establishment,":[112],"Gaussian-prior":[113],"relative":[114],"position":[115,123,157],"embedding":[116,158],"(GRPE)":[117],"foster":[119],"learning":[121],"information,":[124],"eliminate":[129],"computations":[131],"perception":[133],"information.":[134],"Specifically,":[135],"SSA":[136],"GRPE":[138],"consider":[139],"well-converged":[141],"distribution":[143,148],"Gaussian":[146],"heatmap":[147],"separately":[149],"as":[150,234],"prior":[152],"knowledge":[153],"ease":[160],"lay":[166],"solid":[168],"foundation":[169],"following":[172],"operation.":[174],"Then,":[175],"pruning,":[178],"both":[179,192],"query-wise":[180],"dependency-wise,":[182],"performed":[184],"by":[185],"adjusting":[186],"gate":[188],"control":[189],"parameters":[190,218],"complexity":[193],"reduction":[194],"improvement.":[197],"Extensive":[198],"experiments":[199],"two":[201],"widely-used":[202],"datasets":[203],"demonstrate":[204],"prominent":[206],"against":[211],"state-of-the-art":[213],"methods":[214],"with":[215],"much":[216],"fewer":[217],"lower":[220],"GFLOPs.":[221],"More":[222],"importantly,":[223],"prove,":[225],"through":[226],"ablation":[227],"studies,":[228],"that":[229],"can":[232],"plug-n-play":[236],"module":[237],"improvement":[240],"other":[242],"methods.":[244],"Code":[245],"available":[247],"at":[248],"https://github.com/xianlin7/APFormer.":[249]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":6},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":36},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":18},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":7},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-05-10T08:33:47.465468","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}