The human chromosome analysis is widely used to diagnose genetic disease and various congenital anomalies. Many researches on automated chromosome karyotype analysis has been carried out, some of which produced commercial systems. However, there still remains much room for improving the accuracy of chromosome classification. In this paper, We propose an optimal pattern classifier by neural network to improve the accuracy of chromosome classification. The proposed pattern classifier was built up of multi-step multi-layer neural network(MMANN). We reconstructed chromosome image to improve the chromosome classification accuracy and extracted three morphological features parameters such as centromeric index(C.1.), relative length ratio(R.L.), and relative area ratio(R.A.). This Parameters employed as input in neural network by preprocessing twenty human chromosome images. The experiment results show that the chromosome classification error is reduced much more than that of the other classification methods.
Chromosomes, Human ; Classification* ; Humans ; Karyotype*

One hundred and fifty two open wounds of extremities including open fractures were treated at the Kyoungpook Nstional Univ. Hospital from March 1977 to August 1977. Of 152 open wounds there were 32 cases (21.5%) of wound infection even though the initial wound culture revealed bacterial growth in 44 cases(28.9%). However, there were only 10 cases of infection among the cases with positive bacterial growth in the original culture and the same organisms were found in the 6 cases between the initial wound culture and post infection culture. Sensitivity studies of the organisms, the Cephalosqorines appeared to be most effective as a prophylactic antibiotics. It was sensitive to all gram positive organisms and majority of gram negative organisms including Escherichia coli. In bacterial culture and sensitivity studies of the 82 open fracture wounds 18 of them showed gram positive and gramnegative bacteria. The prominant organism were Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus and Pseudomonas. The infection rate was lower in the cases whar the wound was managed within six hours from the time of injury than after six hours.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Escherichia coli ; Extremities ; Fractures, Open ; Humans ; Pseudomonas ; Staphylococcus ; Streptococcus ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

Gas producing infection accompanied by evidence of subcutaneous gas usually are diagnosed as clostridial gas gangrene. The occurrence of nonclostridial gas producing infection is thought to be relatively rare. Two cases of nonclostridial gas producing infection simulating clostridial gas gangrene in diabetes occurred. Gram stains of pus at the time of admission can isolate the E-coli and streptococcus, and can distinguish these two entities. Chief conplaints were swelling, pain and tenderness of right lower extremity by infection. Multiple incisions to free the tissues of gas and pus and the administration of antibiotics are the treatment of choice.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Coloring Agents ; Gas Gangrene ; Lower Extremity ; Streptococcus ; Suppuration

Post-menopausal osteoporosis is known to be related to estrogen deficiency. The purpose of this experimental study is to investigate whether or not estrogen administration can prevent or retard the process of osteoporosis induced by oophorectomy in rats. Fifty-two Sprague-Dawley rats, aged five months, were separated into three groups. Group 1 (4 rats) was control group that had sham operation without oophorectomy. Goup 2 (32 rats) was another control group that had bilateral oophorectomy alone. Group 3 (16 rats) was experimental group that had estradiol administration from the fourth week through the eighth week after bilateral oophorectomy. In group 1, all the rats were killed at the fourth week after sham operation. In group 2 and group 3, four rats in each group were killed weekly until the eighth week after oophorectomy. All the animals were subjected to radiological, histological studies on the tibia, ilium, skull, and the sixth lumbar vertebra. Also, histomorphometric measurements were 1. Osteoporotic changes were evident from the fifth week after oophorectomy and increased with time on the radiologic examination in group 2. In contrast, osteoporotic changes were evident from the second week after oophorectomy and progressed with time on the histological and histomorphometric studies in group 2. 2. After administration of estradiol, osteoporotic changes which include thinning of the cortex, decrease of the amount of trabeculae were partially restored on the radiological, histological studies in group 3. 3. Histomorphometric study revealed that the trabecular area percent (the proportion of total area of the trabeculae from the whole metaphyseal area), decreased progressively through the eight week after oophorectomy in gorup 2. Whereas the trabecular area percents of group 3 were higher than those of group 2, but still lower than initial value before oophorectomy. Based on the above observations, estradiol administration appeared to delay the progression of the osteoporotic changes induced by oophorectomy in rats.
Animals ; Estradiol ; Estrogens ; Female ; Humans ; Ilium ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Ovariectomy ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Skull ; Spine ; Tibia

Although some reports have been published on the protective effect of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii surface membrane proteins, few address the inhibitory activity of antibodies to dense granular proteins (GRA proteins). Therefore, we performed a series of experiments to evaluate the inhibitory effects of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to GRA proteins (GRA2, 28 kDa; GRA6, 32 kDa) and surface membrane protein (SAG1, 30 kDa) on the invasion of T. gondii tachyzoites. Passive immunization of mice with one of three mAbs following challenge with a lethal dose of tachyzoites significantly increased survival compared with results for mice treated with control ascites. The survival times of mice challenged with tachyzoites pretreated with anti-GRA6 or anti-SAG1 mAb were significantly increased. Mice that received tachyzoites pretreated with both mAb and complement had longer survival times than those that received tachyzoites pretreated with mAb alone. Invasion of tachyzoites into fibroblasts and macrophages was significantly inhibited in the anti-GRA2, anti-GRA6 or anti-SAG1 mAb pretreated group. Pretreatment with mAb and complement inhibited invasion of tachyzoites in both fibroblasts and macrophages. These results suggest that specific antibodies to dense-granule molecules may be useful for controlling infection with T. gondii.
Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/*pharmacology/therapeutic use ; *Antigens, Protozoan ; Female ; Fibroblasts/parasitology ; Host-Parasite Relations ; Immunization, Passive ; Macrophages/parasitology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Protozoan Proteins/*immunology ; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't ; Toxoplasma/*pathogenicity ; Toxoplasmosis/parasitology/*therapy

The bullectomy through the limited transaxillary thoracotomy and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) had been used in operative management of spontaneous pneumothorax from Jan. 1994 to July 1997. The study comprised a retrospective review of 42 cases which were treated by limited thoracotomy, and 61 cases treated by video-assisted thoracoscopic sugery. We retrospectively reviewed annual incidnce of bullectomy. Analysis of video-assised thoracoscopic surgery and open bullectomy including age, sex, operative sites, surgical indications, associated diseases, operative time, posoperatve complications and hospital courses. There was no significant difference for operation time in two groups, 98.3+/-38.4 minutes in thoracotomy and 95.7+/-31.5 minutes in VATS. Prolonged air leakage over 7 days was observed in 8 cases from thoracotomy group, 4 cases from VATS group. 3 cases of recurrent pneumothorax were found from VATS group, but no recurrence was occurred from open bullectomy group. There were significant differences in postoperative hospital stay (8.0+/-3.9 day in thoracotomy vs 5.9+/-2.4day in VATS (P=0.001)), and indwelling period of chest tube after operation ( 5.8+/-3.0day in thoracotomy vs 4.0+/-2.0day in VATS (P=0.0006)).
Chest Tubes ; Length of Stay ; Operative Time ; Pneumothorax* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted* ; Thoracoscopy ; Thoracotomy*

A 42-year-old woman preseated with intermittent rectal bleeding of a week's duration. A large polypoid mass with pigmented, ulcerated, nodular surface was seen in the rectum at 3cm from the anal verge during flexible sigmoidoscopy. A histologic diagnosis of metastatic melanoma wae made on light microscopic examination of biopsies obtained at sigmoidoscopy. The presence of metastatic melanoma at sites other than the rectum was found at the skin, pleura and lung. We report a case of metastatic malignant melanoma of the rectum with the review of the literature.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Lung ; Melanoma* ; Pleura ; Rectum* ; Sigmoidoscopy ; Skin ; Ulcer

The remote surveillance system based on the wireless home sensor network, wireless internet connection, and the portable, hand-held device has been designed for the patron to get the emergency alarm for immediate care for the Dementia aged, when the patron is not at home. It consists of transmitting server and the receiving terminal. The transmitting server gathers the information through bluetooth connection regarding to environment threatening the safety of the Dementia aged from five sensors, including fire, gas, conductivity, photo, and motion sensors, and cameras up to the number of 16, fixated within home. It also determines the emergency situation automatically from sensors' environmental condition and the motion detected from the camera output targeted to the aged people, and sends the alarm message with the picture taken from home to the patrol for comprehending the emergency situation remotely. Either the PDA or the cellular phone is used as the receiving terminal device through wireless connectivity without the location limitation for the patrol. The functional evaluation via the implemented prototype system has been performed to initially demonstrate the efficacy, the usefulness, and ease to operate for later use for either solitarily living old people or nursery schools and infantile shelters.
Cellular Phone ; Dementia ; Emergencies ; Fires ; Internet ; Schools, Nursery

PURPOSE: To evaluate the differential clinical & electroencephalographic characteristics between benign childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysm (BCEOP) and symptomatic occipital lobe epilepsy (SOLE). METHODS: Nine patients of BCEOP and seven patients of SOLE diagnosed at the department of pediatrics and epilepsy center in Inje University Sang-gye Paik Hospital from March 1992 to June 1998, were studied for the determination of differential characteristics between the two groups. Clinical features, EEG characteristics, MRI findings, associated conditions, and prognosis were investigated and compared between these groups. RESULT: 1) Male : female ratio was 1 : 2 in BCEOP and 1 : 2.5 in SOLE. 2) Seizure onset age was older in SOLE as compared with BCEOP. 3) There was no significant difference in seizure types between two groups. 4) Visual aura could be elicited in 5 patients (55.6%) in BCEOP, and 3 patients (42.9%) in SOLE. 5) Ictus emeticus was only noted in 4 patients (44.4%) of BCEOP. 6) Migraine was associated only in 3 patients of BCEOP. 7) Background EEG abnormality was more frequently associated in SOLE than BCEOP. 8) Seizure control was inefficient only in 3 patients (42.9%) of SOLE, and all patients with BCEOP were successfully treated with antiepileptic drugs. CONCLUSION: SOLE showed higher seizure onset age, less frequent association of ictus emeticus and migraine, more frequent background EEG abnormalities and more medical intractability to antiepileptic drugs than BCEOP.
Age of Onset ; Anticonvulsants ; Child* ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsies, Partial* ; Epilepsy ; Female ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Migraine Disorders ; Occipital Lobe* ; Pediatrics ; Prognosis ; Seizures

Angelman syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by developmental delay, speech impairment, ataxic gait, paroxysmal laughter, and seizures. The diagnosis is suspected in infants who have the characteristic clinical features and electroencephalographic (EEG) abnormalities, and is confirmed by the genetic identification of a maternally derived 15q11-13 deletion. We report a case of genetically confirmed Angelman syndrome who had the characteristic clinical and EEG features.
Angelman Syndrome* ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 15 ; Diagnosis ; Electroencephalography ; Gait ; Humans ; Infant ; Language Development Disorders ; Laughter ; Seizures