Hidden Markov model (HMM) is known to be one of the most powerful methods in the acoustic modeling of heart sound signals. Conventionally, we usually use a fixed number of states for each HMM. However, due to the various types of the heart sound signals, it seems that more accurate acoustic modeling is possible by varying the number of states in the HMM depending on the signal types to be modeled. In this paper, we propose to assign different number of states to the HMM for better acoustic modeling and consequently, improving the classification performance of the heart sound signals. Compared with when fixing the number of states, the proposed approach has shown some performance improvement in the classification experiments on various types of heart sound signals.
Acoustics ; Heart ; Heart Sounds

No abstract available.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle* ; Breast*

No abstract available.
Diagnosis*

Mirizzi syndrome is an uncommon cause of obstructive jaundice. It consists of the following elements: (1) an anatomic arrangement of the cystic duct such that it lies almost parallel to the common hepatic duct, (2) impaction of a gallstone in the cystic duct or neck of the gall bladder, (3) partial mechanical obstruction of the common hepatic duct by the stone itself or the resulting inflammatory reaction, and (4) recurrent cholangitis or ultimately cholangitic cirrhosis due to the partial obstruction. (continue...)
Cholangitis ; Cystic Duct ; Fibrosis ; Gallstones ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Jaundice, Obstructive ; Mirizzi Syndrome* ; Neck ; Urinary Bladder

In the field of urological surgery, robotic surgery continues to develop and increase. This paper is an overview of the present and future of robotic urological surgery.Current Concepts: Robot-assisted surgery has revolutionized minimally invasive surgery and advanced the technical limitations of laparoscopy. Urologists have always been eager to adopt new technological advances to benefit their patients, and they have also been pioneers in the field of robotic surgery.Discussion and Conclusion: Following the first approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000, the da Vinci System (Intuitive Surgical, USA) remained the leading robotic surgical system for over 20 years. In 2000, the first robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy was performed in urology. Subsequently, applications of the da Vinci System in urology have grown exponentially, including the kidney, urinary bladder, and reconstructive and functional urological surgeries. To date, urology is driving robotic innovation. The first specialist-engineered system for single-site surgery, the da Vinci SP, was initially approved for use in urological surgery. Due to the advantages of robotic surgery, such as excellent visibility and operability, the demand for robotic surgery in the urology department is continuously increasing. Recently, in addition to the da Vinci System, other robot platforms are being developed and commercialized in many countries. In South Korea, robots such as Revo-I (Meere Company Inc., Korea) and Zamenix (Roen Surgical, Korea) are being released and commercialized. Urologists continue to lead the development of domestic robots and robotic surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the association between working conditions and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Korea. METHODS: We obtained data on health history, lifestyle, housework and working conditions, such as shift work, hours standing, working time, job demand, lifting at work and at home, between August and September 2000, from self-reported questionnaires. A group of 344, occupationally active, pregnant women from 51 industries were studied. Of the women studied, 328 women were further interviewed by telephone between November 2000 and September 2001. Result : Compared with daytime work, shift work increased the risk for preterm birth (an adjusted risk ratio of 2.74, 95% CI=1.02-2.62) and low birth weight (an adjusted risk ratio of 2.74, 95% CI=1.02-2.62). A significantly increased risk was found for prolonged standing, with an adjusted risk ratio of preterm births of 6.80 (95% CI=2.01-23.0). There were no significant differences in the incidence of spontaneous abortion between the occupational working conditions, with the exception of a previous history of spontaneous abortion. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that maternal working conditions, such as shift work and prolonged standing, contribute significantly to preterm birth and low birth weight.
Abortion, Spontaneous ; Cohort Studies* ; Female ; Housekeeping ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Life Style ; Lifting ; Occupations ; Odds Ratio ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Outcome* ; Pregnancy* ; Pregnant Women ; Premature Birth ; Prospective Studies* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Telephone ; Women, Working ; Work Schedule Tolerance

No abstract available.
Female* ; Humans ; Prune Belly Syndrome*

No abstract available.
Esophagus* ; Transplants*

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second*

Acute pulmonary edema associated with direct current shock is a rare complication. Pulmonary edema with an increase in heart size following direct current shock have been previously reported and confirmed. The cause of this complication is unknown. This is not due to a sudden increase in the cardiac output with the establishment of sinus rhythm. It has been most commonly noted in the presence of mitral or aortic valvular diseases or ventricular dysfunction. It is likely that acute alteration or disparities in atrial or ventricular mechanical function consequent to electrical discharge precipitate pulmonary congestion. This is a case report of acute pulmonary edema following cardioversion with direct current shock which caused ventricullar fibrillation during tonsillectomy. He was treated with oxygen, iuretics, digitalis, steroid, dopamine and PEEP (positive end expiratory pressure). The patient recovered uneventful ventilation.