BandRe: Rethinking Band-Pass Filters for Scale-Wise Object Detection Evaluation

Scale-wise evaluation of object detectors is important for real-world applications. However, existing metrics are either coarse or not sufficiently reliable. In this paper, we propose novel scale-wise metrics that strike a balance between fineness and reliability, using a filter bank consisting of triangular and trapezoidal band-pass filters. We conduct experiments with two methods on two datasets and show that the proposed metrics can highlight the differences between the methods and between the datasets. Code is available at https://github.com/shinya7y/UniverseNet .Comment: Honorable Mention Solution Award in Small Object Detection Challenge for Spotting Birds, International Conference on Machine Vision Applications (MVA) 202

USB: Universal-Scale Object Detection Benchmark

Benchmarks, such as COCO, play a crucial role in object detection. However, existing benchmarks are insufficient in scale variation, and their protocols are inadequate for fair comparison. In this paper, we introduce the Universal-Scale object detection Benchmark (USB). USB has variations in object scales and image domains by incorporating COCO with the recently proposed Waymo Open Dataset and Manga109-s dataset. To enable fair comparison and inclusive research, we propose training and evaluation protocols. They have multiple divisions for training epochs and evaluation image resolutions, like weight classes in sports, and compatibility across training protocols, like the backward compatibility of the Universal Serial Bus. Specifically, we request participants to report results with not only higher protocols (longer training) but also lower protocols (shorter training). Using the proposed benchmark and protocols, we analyzed eight methods and found weaknesses of existing COCO-biased methods. The code is available at https://github.com/shinya7y/UniverseNet

Maximum opening of the mouth by mouth prop during dental procedures increases the risk of upper airway constriction

From a retrospective evaluation of data on accidents and deaths during dental procedures, it has been shown that several patients who refused dental treatment died of asphyxia during dental procedures. We speculated that forcible maximum opening of the mouth by using a mouth prop triggers this asphyxia by affecting the upper airway. Therefore, we assessed the morphological changes of the upper airway following maximal opening of the mouth. In 13 healthy adult volunteers, the sagittal diameter of the upper airway on lateral cephalogram was measured between the two conditions; closed mouth and maximally open mouth. The dyspnea in each state was evaluated by a visual analog scale. In one subject, a computed tomograph (CT) was taken to assess the three-dimensional changes in the upper airway. A significant difference was detected in the mean sagittal diameter of the upper airway following use of the prop (closed mouth: 18.5 ± 3.8 mm, maximally open mouth: 10.4 ± 3.0 mm). All subjects indicated upper airway constriction and significant dyspnea when their mouth was maximally open. Although a CT scan indicated upper airway constriction when the mouth was maximally open, muscular compensation was admitted. Our results further indicate that the maximal opening of the mouth narrows the upper airway diameter and leads to dyspnea. The use of a prop for the patient who has communication problems or poor neuromuscular function can lead to asphyxia. When the prop is used for patient refusal in dentistry, the respiratory condition should be monitored strictly, and it should be kept in mind that the “sniffing position” is effective for avoiding upper airway constriction. Practitioners should therefore consider applying not only systematic desensitization, but also general anesthesia to the patient who refuses treatment, because the safety of general anesthesia has advanced, and general anesthesia may be safer than the use of a prop and restraints

Preoperative Use of Alpha-1 Receptor Blockers in Male Patients Undergoing Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy for a Ureteral Calculus

In this retrospective single-center cohort study, we investigated the impact of preoperative use of an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor (AR) blocker on the outcome of single-session extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) in 193 male patients who underwent SWL for a single ureteral calculus between 2006 and 2016. We reviewed their medical records to obtain the data on the preoperative use of alpha-1 AR blockers. The primary outcome was treatment success after single-session SWL. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for clinically important confounders to examine the association between preoperative use of alpha-1 AR blockers and the treatment success of SWL. Among the 193 patients, 15 (7.8%) were taking an alpha-1 AR blocker preoperatively. A multivariable analysis showed that preoperative use of an alpha-1 AR blocker was a significant negative predictor for treatment success of SWL (adjusted odds ratio 0.17; 95% confidence intervals, 0.04-0.74). Our findings suggest that the preoperative use of an alpha-1 AR blocker was a negative predictor of treatment success of SWL in male patients with a single ureteral calculus. Clinicians should pay more attention to the preoperative drug use in determining an appropriate stone therapy modality

A Ruptured Distal Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Aneurysm Our Case and Review of the Literature

We present a case of ruptured distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm, and review the literature and discuss the treatment strategy. A 77-year-old woman presented with the sudden onset of severe headache, nausea and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed an intraventricular hemorrhage, predominantly in the fourth ventricle and hydrocephalus with a thin subarachinoid hemorrhage (SAH). Angiography revealed an aneurysm arising at the turning point of the vessel, from the telovelotonsillar segment of the right PICA. On the 17 day after the onset, repeated angiography revealed a smaller aneurysm than the one detected on the first day at the same place and with no spasm. On the 22 day, the aneurysm was proved to be partially thrombosed and was safely clipped via a right lateral suboccipital approach. SAH with a fourth ventricular hemorrhage or an isolated fourth ventricle hemorrhage should raise the suspicion of a distal PICA aneurysm. Aneurysms of the distal PICA have often been reported to arise at a turning point of the artery rather than at a junction of the vessel. It is suggested that the pathogenesis could be hemodynamic stress that has developed due to embryological factors. Distal PICA aneurysms have often gone detected in many previous cases because of thrombosis inside the aneurysms. Thus, particularly in the case of intentionally delayed surgery, we recommend repeated angiography under various conditions to identify how the aneurysm develops just before surgery

Repeated talaporfin sodium photodynamic therapy for esophageal cancer: safety and efficacy

[Background] Talaporfin sodium photodynamic therapy (tPDT) is an effective salvage treatment for local failure after chemoradiotherapy for esophageal cancer. Repeated tPDT could also be indicated for local recurrence or residue after the first salvage tPDT. However, the safety and efficacy of repeated tPDT have not been elucidated. [Methods] We reviewed 52 patients with esophageal cancer who were treated with the first tPDT at Kyoto University Hospital between October 2015 and April 2020. [Results] Among 52 patients, repeated tPDT after the first tPDT was indicated for 13 patients (25%), of which six had residual tumor, four had local recurrence after complete response (CR) after the first tPDT at the primary site, and six had metachronous lesion. The total session of repeated tPDT was 25; 16 were for primary sites and nine were for metachronous sites. Among them, six patients (46.2%) achieved local (L)-CR and nine lesions (56.3%) achieved lesion L-CR. By session, 10 sessions (40%) achieved L-CR. There were no severe adverse events except for one patient; this patient showed grade 3 esophageal stenosis and perforation after the third tPDT on the same lesion that was previously treated with porfimer sodium photodynamic therapy four times. [Conclusion] Repeated tPDT could be an effective and safe treatment for local failure even after salvage tPDT for esophageal cancer

Combined treatment with dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitor sitagliptin and elemental diets reduced indomethacin-induced intestinal injury in rats via the increase of mucosal glucagon-like peptide-2 concentration.

The gut incretin glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the intestinotropic hormone GLP-2 are released from enteroendocrine L cells in response to ingested nutrients. Treatment with an exogenous GLP-2 analogue increases intestinal villous mass and prevents intestinal injury. Since GLP-2 is rapidly degraded by dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), DPP4 inhibition may be an effective treatment for intestinal ulcers. We measured mRNA expression and DPP enzymatic activity in intestinal segments. Mucosal DPP activity and GLP concentrations were measured after administration of the DPP4 inhibitor sitagliptin (STG). Small intestinal ulcers were induced by indomethacin (IM) injection. STG was given before IM treatment, or orally administered after IM treatment with or without an elemental diet (ED). DPP4 mRNA expression and enzymatic activity were high in the jejunum and ileum. STG dose-dependently suppressed ileal mucosal enzyme activity. Treatment with STG prior to IM reduced small intestinal ulcer scores. Combined treatment with STG and ED accelerated intestinal ulcer healing, accompanied by increased mucosal GLP-2 concentrations. The reduction of ulcers by ED and STG was reversed by co-administration of the GLP-2 receptor antagonist. DPP4 inhibition combined with luminal nutrients, which up-regulate mucosal concentrations of GLP-2, may be an effective therapy for the treatment of small intestinal ulcers