Multi-View Azimuth Stereo via Tangent Space Consistency

We present a method for 3D reconstruction only using calibrated multi-view surface azimuth maps. Our method, multi-view azimuth stereo, is effective for textureless or specular surfaces, which are difficult for conventional multi-view stereo methods. We introduce the concept of tangent space consistency: Multi-view azimuth observations of a surface point should be lifted to the same tangent space. Leveraging this consistency, we recover the shape by optimizing a neural implicit surface representation. Our method harnesses the robust azimuth estimation capabilities of photometric stereo methods or polarization imaging while bypassing potentially complex zenith angle estimation. Experiments using azimuth maps from various sources validate the accurate shape recovery with our method, even without zenith angles.Comment: CVPR 2023 camera-ready. Appendices after references. 16 pages, 20 figures. Project page: https://xucao-42.github.io/mvas_homepage

〈Originals〉 Age-related changes in airway resistance using an impulse oscillation system in patients with asthma

[Abstract] OBJECTIVE : Spirometry is used to investigate airflow limitation in patients with asthma ; however, this method is burdensome for elderlysubjects. An impulse oscillation system (IOS) allows examinations to be performed quickly and with little burden and can be used to evaluate the resistance of total airway (R5), large airway (R20), small airway (R5-R20), reactance (X5), and resonant frequency of reactance (Fres). The airway resistance of elderly and non-elderly patients with asthma was compared using IOS. METHODS : IOS was performed for 51 elderly (65 years old or older) and 58 non-elderly (below 65 years old) patients with asthma. RESULTS : R5, R5-R20, and Fres were significantly higher in the elderly group. X5 was significantly lower in the elderly group. CONCLUSION : These results suggest that IOS can be used to reveal small airway lesions in elderly patients with asthma and is useful as a method of evaluating airway lesions in patients with asthma

<Originals>An empirical trial of one-week treatment with inhaled orticosteroids for distinguishing asthmatic syndrome from asthma mimics

[Abstract] Asthma is a complex clinical disease characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation. It is commonly diagnosed and treated on the basis of the clinical impression of the physician, although national guidelines recommend documenting reversible airflow obstruction. sthma-like symptoms are shown in asthma mimics, including mitral valve disorder, allergic rhinitis and Sjogren\u27s syndrome. This study examined whether a response to 1 week of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) was useful for distinguishing asthma mimics from asthmatic syndrome, including definitive asthma andeosinophilic bronchitis. This study included 126 subjects who had episodes of wheezing at night and/or in the early morning. Airway hyperresponsiveness(AHR), bronchodilator reversibility (BR), and eosinophilia in sputum (Eo) were measured. Asthma was diagnosed by a classical definition for asthma determination proposed by the Ciba symposium, and clinical observation for 2 years. The clinical response to the treatment was assessed based on the symptom score on a visual-analogue scale and the clinical peak-expiratory flow rate (PEFR) within the first week after treatment with ICS. In total, 110 of the 126 subjects (87％) were diagnosed with asthmatic syndrome, as either definitive asthma (72％) or eosinophilic bronchitis (15％), whereas the remaining 16 participants were considered to have asthma mimics due to an alternative diagnosis. Patients with definitive asthma and eosinophilic bronchitis, but not those with asthma mimics, showed improved symptom scores and their clinical PEFR was improved within the first week of ICS treatment. In this study, we demonstrated that diagnosis using the patient response to ICS was an effective alternative tool for distinguishing asthmatic syndrome from asthma mimics