No abstract available.
Diagnosis*

No abstract available.

The region segmentation of the pap-smear image is known to be a difficult and important part in the automatic image recognition system. Both the pixel based methods(thresholding) and the region based methods(split and merge, region growing and edge detection) are widely used for segmentation of the nucleus, cytoplasm and background in the pap-smear images. The pixel based methods are relatively fast, but not accurate, while the region based methods are accurate, but slow. This paper proposes a multistage segmentation strategy which uses thresholding and incremental color clustering methods to reduce computation time while not sacrificing accuracy. Proposed method consists of three stages. The first stage uses global thresholding method to search nucleus blob position, and the second stage employs incremental color clustering with color information. The final stage segments unsuitable nuclei using thresholding method after calculating suitability for each extracted nucleus blob. The proposed segmentation method is tested under various error measures. The experimental results showed that each stage of the proposed method reduced specific error measures: The second stage reduced false negative error and the third stage false positive error.
Cytoplasm

OBJECTIVES: Craving is the subjectively experienced motivational states inducing ongoing drug use in addicts. It also proceeds or precipitates relapse episode in drug addicts. Alcohol craving may be triggered by exposure to an object, environment, or emotion that a person has come to associate with alcohol consumption. Such stimuli are called alcohol-related cues. Among alcohol-related cues, alcohol-related visual stimuli are simple and reliable methods in inducing alcohol craving. The object of this study is to develop alcohol-related visual stimuli which induce alcohol craving reliably and to investigate the characteristics of alcohol-related visual stimuli in alcoholics. METHODS: First, the authors developed 27 alcohol and drinking color photos as candidate stimuli. Then, 3 photos which induce alcohol craving most were chosen as alcohol-related visual stimuli respectively by alcoholics, alcoholism high risk group and normal control group. The authors compared characteristics, situation and complexity of selected alcohol-related visual stimuli among three groups. RESULTS: 1) 'A glass of Soju', 'Drinking together' and 'A glass of beer, a bottle of beer and a sidedish' were chosen as alcohol-related visual stimuli which induce most craving in alcoholics, alcoholism high risk group and normal control group respectively. 2) Alcohol photo(stationary object) induced craving most in alcoholics in contrast with drinking photo(situation) in social drinkers. Alcoholics clung to alcohol per se, not to atmosphere or situation of drinking, and alcoholism high risk group felt craving by the expectation of drinking situation. Normal control group showed no consistent finding in choosing alcohol-related visual stimuli. CONCLUSION: With these results, the author suggests classical conditioning as psychopathological model of alcohol craving with alcoholics. In contrast with alcoholics, alcohol craving of alcoholism high risk group may be related to alcohol specific memory or positive expectancies about alcohol use. These finding may support different neurobiological mechanisms of alcohol craving between alcoholics and social drinkers.
Alcohol Drinking ; Alcoholics ; Alcoholism ; Atmosphere ; Beer ; Conditioning, Classical ; Cues ; Drinking ; Drug Users ; Glass ; Humans ; Memory ; Recurrence

The purpose of this study is to establish the Korean concept of the terms related to the use of alcohol and to use those terms in order to replace the terminologies which are inadequate within the Korean culture in diagnosing alcohol abuse. To achieve our intent, the Focus Group Study ethnographic research method was used in this study. The results are as follows: 1) Alcohol is generally perceived as a food rather than a substance in Korea. Alcohol-related behaviors are judged to be problematic according to the problems f311owing the drinking behavior rather than the drinking behavior itself. 2) Repetitive drinking in spite of interpersonal problems was found to be a significant diagnostic guideline of alcoholism in Korea. This finding befits the concept of diagnostic criteria of DSM-III-R and ICD-10. 3) It would be to be appropriate to add some of the typical symptoms rather than change the whole diagnostic concept of ICD or DSM to establish the medical concept of withdrawl phenomenon. 4) Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are two separate disease entities. Thus, education of the concepts would allow Koreans to distinguish and to use these two terms. 5) The concepts of acute intoxication, abuse, harmful use and dependence in ICD and DSM should be used after an appropriate revision.
Alcoholism* ; Drinking ; Drinking Behavior ; Education ; Focus Groups* ; International Classification of Diseases ; Korea

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the aspects of Pap smear affect cervical abnormality in our country. METHODS: We compared the sensitivity of Pap smear of 241 cases of pathologic proven CIN & invasive cancer, compared to that of 655 cases with normal cervical biopsy, and reviewed the history of the test of 138 cases, retrospectively. RESULTS: The sensitivity of the test was 89.6%, 92.7% in CIN & invasive cancer group, respectively, with 96.9% specificity. Among 241 cases, 138 cases were examined for the frequency of test during the 3 years with the result of 2.42, 2.17/3yr in CIN and invasive cancer. And distribution of the test was not different between the two groups. The mean intervals of last two Pap smear before diagnosing final pathology in CIN and cancer were 12.1, 13.7 months, respectively, with no statistical significance (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: We concluded that in our country the aspects of Pap smear such as frequency and interval do not influence the result of cervical abnormality, so recommend the annual Pap test as a screening.
Biopsy ; Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia* ; Mass Screening ; Papanicolaou Test* ; Pathology ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

A cross-cultural comparison study of alcohol use disorder between Kangwha and Yanbian was conducted using the Korean version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS). The subjects of the two areas studied were all native Koreans but lived in different sociocultural environments. A significant difference in lifetime prevalence rate of alcohol abuse (Kangwha 16.48%, Yanbian 6.95%; p less than 0.05) and similarity of alcohol dependence (Kangwha 10.23%, Yanbian 11.50%; p less than 0.05) were found. Among a total of 21 items of alcoholic symptoms, 14 items showed significant differences in frequencies between the two areas. The authors have suggested that alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are two different diagnostic categories in origin, alcohol abuse is more related to socio-cultural environment and alcohol dependence to biogenetic background. The authors have discussed the possible reasons for a higher prevalence rate of alcohol abuse in Kangwha compared to Yanbian.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Alcoholism/epidemiology/*ethnology/etiology ; Child ; China/epidemiology ; Cross-Cultural Comparison ; Female ; Human ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Age ; Prevalence

OBJECTS AND METHODS: The authors tried to classify 75 male patients with alcohol dependence by using cluster analysis of their MMFI data, to Identify the characteristics of each subtype classified through that process and to evaluate the discriminant validity of the classification. RESULTS: The subjects were divided into 3 subtypes by K-means cluster analysis of MMPI scores: a psychotic subtype of 6(Fa)-7(Ft)-8(Sc) profile(21.4%), a neurotic subtype of 2(D)-3(Hy)-1(Hs) profile(49.3%), a normal subtype(29.3%). But, there were no statistically significant differences of age, educational level, marital status, admission history due to alcoholic problems, number of drinking day per week, average amount of ethanol consumed per drinking occasion, age at onset of drinking and family history of alcoholism among these three subtypes. CONCLUSION: It seems that the subjects with alcohol dependence could be classified into three subtypes with statistical significance, but this statistical classification does not constitute any evidence of discriminant validity.
Alcoholics ; Alcoholism* ; Classification* ; Cluster Analysis ; Drinking ; Ethanol ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; MMPI*

OBJECTIVES: The attentional deficit is a core symptom in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The major brain areas related to attention are frontal and parietal lobes. Abnormalities of frontal and parietal lobes in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have been reported in previous researches. But, most of the researches are based on comparing patients and controls while they are in resting condition. Further research on funtional changes related to performance of attentional task is needed to understand the attentional dysfuntion in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In this study, the localized functional changes of the brains related to attentional task in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and the differences of them between patients and normal controls were examined. Also the effect of the methylphenidate on functional changes related to attentional task in patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was examined. METHOD: Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) was applied to examine the fuctional changes related to attentional task. Subjects of this study consisted of 20 patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and 20 controls who were matched age, sex, handedness, intelligence. QEEG was recorded on eye open resting condition, and on performing computerized attentional task. In cases of patients, after taking of methylphenidate, QEEG was recorded on both conditions. RESULTS: 1)In attention test, normal controls had better scores in response time and variabilities of response time than those of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder without taking methylphenidate. After taking medication, scores of omission, response time and variabilities of response time were significantly improved, comparing to scores without taking medication. No differences were recognized between the controls and patients with taking medication in scores of attention test. 2)In resting condition, spectral EEG revealed baseline activity levels of patients were significantly increased comparing to those of controls. 3)Analysis of delta wave revealed that amplitudes of controls were significantly elevated in parieto-occipital area during performance of attentional task. But in patients, localized activated area related to attentional task was not remarkable. 4)Theta activity of controls were significantly elevated in right frontal, right temporal, and both parieto-occipital areas during performance of attentional task. But in patients without taking medication, localized activated area related to attentional work was not remarkable. After taking medication, right frontal, right temporal, and both parieto-occipital areas were significantly activated. 5)Alpha activities of controls were significantly increased in parieto-occipital area during performance of attentional task, but those of patients without taking medication were increased in broad area. 6)Beta activities of controls were significantly increased in frontal area during attentional performance, but those of patients without taking medication were significantly increased in most of the brain areas. After taking medication, significantly increased activities related to attentional task were recognized in left frontal, and both temporal areas. Localized activated patterns similar to those of controls were recognized. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this research, it is suggested that patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have increased baseline brain activity. In controls, brains showed localized response to a attentional stimuli, and functional changes related to attentional stimuli were recognized in frontal, and parieto-occipital areas. But, patients failed in showing appropriate localized activated response to attentional stimuli. It is concluded that frontal and parieto-occipital areas have some deficit responsible for the attentional dysfunction of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity ; Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Frontal Lobe ; Functional Laterality ; Humans ; Intelligence ; Methylphenidate ; Parietal Lobe ; Reaction Time

It hae been well established that, specifi alterations in members of the ras gene family, H-ras, K-ras and N-ras, can convert them into active oncogenes. These alterations are either point mutations occurirg in either codon 12, 13 or 61, or alternatively, a 5- to 50-fold amplification of the wfld-type gene. Activated ras oncogenes have been found in a significant proportion of all turnors, but the incidence varies considerably with the tumor type : it is frequent (20~40%) in colarectal eancer and acute myeloid leukemia, but absent or preaent rarely in breast and atomach cancer. But the role of c-K-ras point mutatio in the development of cancers in the female genital tract has not been extensively studied. Polymerase chain reaction followed by gel electrophoresis was performed respectively using wild-type normal and specific point mutation primers{GGT->GAT, GGT->AGT, GGT->TGT and GGT->GTT) to detect, point, mutation of codon 12 of c-K-ras oncogene. The c-K-ras oncogene point mutation was confirmed by Southern blot hybridization using synthetic oligonucleatide probe. 3'-end Iabelled with digoxigenin -dUTP. With this method, the frequency of point mutation on codon 12 of c-K-ras oncogene was examined the tissues in 37 casea of ovarian cancer, 7 cases of endometrial cancer, 36 cases of the gestational trophoblastic tumor, 60 cases of cervical cancer. The relationship between the presence of a c-K-ras point mutation and clinicopathological characteristics of the female genital tract cancers were also analysed. The results were as follows; 1. The incidence of four point mutations on codon 12 of c-K-ras oncogene in 37 ovarian cancers was 45.9% (17/37) and distribution were 43.2% (16/37), 2.7% (1/37) and 0% (0/37) in GGT-->GAT, GGT-->AGT, GGT-->TGT, and GGT-->GTT, respectively. According to histological type, in ovarian cancers, The point mutation of K-ras oncogene waspositive in 45 % (10/22) of serous cystadenocarcinomas. The incidence of four point mutations on codon 12 among 37 patients with ovarian cancer according to histological type was 45.5 % (10/22) with serous cystadenocarcinoma, 57.1% (4/7) of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. Comparing the positive rate of point mutations of K-ras oncogen among 37 patients with ovarian cancer with the clinical stage, point mutation was detected in 28.5% (2/7) of patients with stage I, 40.0% (2/5) with stage II, and 52.0% (13/25) with stage III/IV. There was no statistically significant increasement of point mutations with the advance of the clinical stage of ovarian cancer. Comparing the positive rate of point mutations of K-ras oncogen among 37 patients with ovarian cancer according to the histologic grade point mutation was detected in 50.0 % (2/4) 0f patients with grade I, 451.7 % (5/12) with grade II and 47.6 % (10/21) with grade III. 2. The incidence of point mutations of K-ras oncogen among 33 patients with ovarian cancer who were performed pelvic lymph node dissection was 57.1 % (12/21) of the patients with pelvic lymph node metastases and 16.7% (2/12) of the patients without pelvic lymph node metastases. There was statistically significant difference between the positive rate of c-K-ras point mutations and the pelvic lymph nodal status(P<0.05). 3. In 7 cases of endometrial cancer, positive rate of K-ras point was 42.8 % (3/7). Point mutations were also detected in 2 cases from 4 choriocarcinomas, but, the point mutation was only detected in 1 case from 60 cervical carcinomas. From these results, we may suggest that the point mutation on codon 12 c-K-ras oncogene are considered to be one of the important genetic change in the tumor formation and progression of ovarian of c-K-ras oncogene seems to be the one stop in the multistep process of tumor formation in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, the point mutation of c-k-ras gene could occur more frequently in the patients of ovarian cancer with pelvic lymph node metastases than in those without pelvic metastases, suggesting the orle in tumor progression. And we concluded that point mutation on codon 12 is comparable frequent in uterine endometrial carcinomas and have significance as an event that contributes to progrssion of endometrial cancers and choriocarcinoma, but cervical carcinoma do not appear to have c-K-ras point mutation in general. More studies will be necessary, but the detection of c-k-ras point mutation as the possibility of biological tumor marker to predict clinical outcome may be utilized in female malignancies.
Blotting, Southern ; Breast ; Choriocarcinoma ; Codon ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous ; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous ; Digoxigenin ; Electrophoresis ; Endometrial Neoplasms ; Female* ; Genes, ras ; Humans ; Incidence ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; Lymph Node Excision ; Lymph Nodes ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Oncogenes* ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Point Mutation* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Pregnancy ; Trophoblastic Neoplasms ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms