Object-Centric Multiple Object Tracking

Unsupervised object-centric learning methods allow the partitioning of scenes into entities without additional localization information and are excellent candidates for reducing the annotation burden of multiple-object tracking (MOT) pipelines. Unfortunately, they lack two key properties: objects are often split into parts and are not consistently tracked over time. In fact, state-of-the-art models achieve pixel-level accuracy and temporal consistency by relying on supervised object detection with additional ID labels for the association through time. This paper proposes a video object-centric model for MOT. It consists of an index-merge module that adapts the object-centric slots into detection outputs and an object memory module that builds complete object prototypes to handle occlusions. Benefited from object-centric learning, we only require sparse detection labels (0%-6.25%) for object localization and feature binding. Relying on our self-supervised Expectation-Maximization-inspired loss for object association, our approach requires no ID labels. Our experiments significantly narrow the gap between the existing object-centric model and the fully supervised state-of-the-art and outperform several unsupervised trackers.Comment: ICCV 2023 camera-ready versio

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Expert Consensus on Microtransplant for Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Elderly Patients -Report From the International Microtransplant Interest Group

Recent studies have shown that microtransplant (MST) could improve outcome of patients with elderly acute myeloid leukemia (EAML). To further standardize the MST therapy and improve outcomes in EAML patients, based on analysis of the literature on MST, especially MST with EAML from January 1st, 2011 to November 30th, 2022, the International Microtransplant Interest Group provides recommendations and considerations for MST in the treatment of EAML. Four major issues related to MST for treating EAML were addressed: therapeutic principle of MST (1), candidates for MST (2), induction chemotherapy regimens (3), and post-remission therapy based on MST (4). Others included donor screening, infusion of donor cells, laboratory examinations, and complications of treatment

A Weighted and Directed Perspective of Global Stock Market Connectedness: A Variance Decomposition and GERGM Framework

The financial penetration accelerated by economic globalization and financial liberalization has inevitably induced market co-movement and the rising likelihood of cross-market risk contagion. An in-depth analysis concerning the carrier of risk contagion, i.e., market connectedness network, is of great significance for risk management. This study aims to establish a holistic framework to shed light on the topological dynamics and the evolving channels of connectedness network among 24 major stock markets in two aspects; namely, a dynamic perspective juxtaposing crisis and non-crisis periods, and a contrasting perspective between risk absorption and risk spillover. To this end, a methodological framework of the generalized variance decomposition and generalized exponential random graph models (GERGM) is constructed, in which the former method formulates the asymmetric causal relationships of stock return volatility among countries and regions into weighted and directed networks, and the latter method simulates and models the varying attributes of different contagion channels in the formation of tie directions and weights. The results indicate that the global stock market network reflects typical event-driven and time-varying characteristics. Countries and regions that rely heavily on foreign direct investment (FDI) are more likely to absorb risks, especially during the post-crisis recovery period, while countries and regions with higher foreign portfolio holdings are more inclined to risk spillover, especially during the subprime crisis. Geographical proximity and bilateral trade volume amplify risk contagion, whereas foreign exchange reserve holding improves robustness. This holistic framework allows the identification of the direction and intensity of risk contagion and the clarification of priority of risk transmission channels in different stages, thus reducing the uncertainty of risk management and providing insights into the macro-prudential managements toward sustainable economic development

Screening and characterization of inhibitory vNAR targeting nanodisc-assembled influenza M2 proteins

Summary: Influenza A virus poses a constant challenge to human health. The highly conserved influenza matrix-2 (M2) protein is an attractive target for the development of a universal antibody-based drug. However, screening using antigens with subphysiological conformation in a nonmembrane environment significantly reduces the generation of efficient antibodies. Here, M2(1-46) was incorporated into nanodiscs (M2-nanodiscs) with M2 in a membrane-embedded tetrameric conformation, closely resembling its natural physiological state in the influenza viral envelope. M2-nanodisc generation, an antigen, was followed by Chiloscyllium plagiosum immunization. The functional vNARs were selected by phage display panning strategy from the shark immune library. One of the isolated vNARs, AM2H10, could specifically bind to tetrameric M2 instead of monomeric M2e (the ectodomain of M2 protein). Furthermore, AM2H10 blocked ion influx through amantadine-sensitive and resistant M2 channels. Our findings indicated the possibility of developing functional shark nanobodies against various influenza viruses by targeting the M2 protein

Chidamide in relapsed or refractory peripheral T cell lymphoma: a multicenter real-world study in China

Abstract The efficacy and safety of chidamide, a new subtype-selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, have been demonstrated in a pivotal phase II clinical trial, and chidamide has been approved by the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) as a treatment for relapsed or refractory peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL). This study sought to further evaluate the real-world utilization of chidamide in 383 relapsed or refractory PTCL patients from April 2015 to February 2016 in mainland China. For patients receiving chidamide monotherapy (n = 256), the overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were 39.06 and 64.45%, respectively. The ORR and DCR were 51.18 and 74.02%, respectively, for patients receiving chidamide combined with chemotherapy (n = 127). For patients receiving chidamide monotherapy and chidamide combined with chemotherapy, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 129 (95% CI 82 to 194) days for the monotherapy group and 152 (95% CI 93 to 201) days for the combined therapy group (P = 0.3266). Most adverse events (AEs) were of grade 1 to 2. AEs of grade 3 or higher that occurred in ≥5% of patients receiving chidamide monotherapy included thrombocytopenia (10.2%) and neutropenia (6.2%). For patients receiving chidamide combined with chemotherapy, grade 3 to 4 AEs that occurred in ≥5% of patients included thrombocytopenia (18.1%), neutropenia (12.6%), anemia (7.1%), and fatigue (5.5%). This large real-world study demonstrates that chidamide has a favorable efficacy and an acceptable safety profile for refractory and relapsed PTCL patients. Chidamide combined with chemotherapy may be a new treatment choice for refractory and relapsed PTCL patients but requires further investigation