• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea CI
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.139-146
• /
• 2008

Masked fake face detection using ordinary visible images is a formidable task when the mask is accurately made with special makeup. Considering recent advances in special makeup technology, a reliable solution to detect masked fake faces is essential to the development of a complete face recognition system. This research proposes a method for masked fake face detection that exploits reflectance disparity due to object material and its surface color. First, we have shown that measuring of albedo can be simplified to radiance measurement when a practical face recognition system is deployed under the user-cooperative environment. This enables us to obtain albedo just by grey values in the image captured. Second, we have found that 850nm infrared light is effective to discriminate between facial skin and mask material using reflectance disparity. On the other hand, 650nm visible light is known to be suitable for distinguishing different facial skin colors between ethnic groups. We use a 2D vector consisting of radiance measurements under 850nm and 659nm illumination as a feature vector. Facial skin and mask material show linearly separable distributions in the feature space. By employing FIB, we have achieved 97.8% accuracy in fake face detection. Our method is applicable to faces of different skin colors, and can be easily implemented into commercial face recognition systems.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.285-287
• /
• 2016

Background: The efficacy of standard treatment of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is declining because of antibiotic resistance. Clarithromycin resistance is also increasing in many Asian countries. The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of H. pylori infection and clinical association in Laos. Materials and Methods: A total of 329 Lao dyspeptic patients who underwent gastroscopy at Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Laos during December 2010-March 2012 were enrolled in this study. During gastroscopy, 4 biopsies were collected (2 each from the antrum and body) for CLO-test and histopathology. Only the positive CLO-test gastric tissues was stored at $-80^{\circ}C$ in a freezer until DNA was extracted and a GenoType$^{(R)}$HelicoDR test was conducted for detecting mutations in the rrl gene encoding 23S rRNA (clarithromycin resistance) and mutations in gyrA gene (fluoroquinolone resistance). Results: Of the total, 119 Lao patients (36.2%) were infected with H. pylori including 59 males (49.6%) and 60 females (50.4%) with a mean age of 46 years. Clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance of H. pylori infection was demonstrated in 15 (12.6%) and 16 strains (13.4%) respectively. In clarithromycin resistance, the number of patients who had education above primary school and $BMI{\geq}25kg/m^2$ were significantly higher than those who had education below primary school and BMI<$25kg/m^2$ (23.1% vs 7.5%, P-value= 0.036 and 20.5% vs 8%, P-value= 0.048, respectively). In fluoroquinolone resistance, the number of lowland Lao was significantly higher than those of non-lowland (highland and midland) Lao ethnic groups (16.7% vs 0%, P-value= 0.039). Conclusions: H. pylori infections remain common in Laos. Clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone resistance with H. pylori infection are growing problems. Education above primary school and $BMI{\geq}25kg/m^2$ might be predictors for clarithromycin resistance and lowland Lao ethnicity might be predictors for fluoroquinolone resistance with H. pylori infection in Laos.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.13
• /
• pp.5385-5388
• /
• 2015

Background: Gastric cancer is the most common gastrointestinal cancer and a leading cause of cancer mortality in Nepal. Survival of gastric cancer patients depends on the stage at which diagnosis is made. The aim of this study was to analyze the presentation and outcomes of gastric cancer patients treated at a tertiary care hospital in Nepal. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of 140 consecutive histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma cases managed at the Department of Surgery, Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal for the period of January 2009 to December 2013 was carried out. Results: One hundred forty out of the total 186 patients with histologically proven gastric adenocarcinoma, were admitted for surgery. The mean age was $59.6{\pm}12.4yrs$ (range 29 to 78 yrs) and the male: female ratio was 2:1. Sixty three (45%) patients featured Tibeto-Burman descent though this ethnic group accounts for only 18% of the Nepalese population. Two-thirds or more patients presented with abdominal pain, anorexia, weight loss and/or vomiting. In 86 (61.5%) of the patients the tumor was located in the lower $3^{rd}$ of the stomach and in only 15% of the patients the tumor was located at the upper $3^{rd}$. Early gastric cancer was diagnosed postoperatively in only 4%. In 54%, the disease was locally advanced and metastatic lesions were found in 14% of the patients. Subtotal (73) or total (11) curative gastrectomies (D1, D1+ or D2) were performed in 84 (60%) patients with average lymph node retrieval of $16.6{\pm}8.2$. Palliative gastrectomies or procedures were performed in 23% of the patients and no intervention (open & close/biopsy) was employed in 15% of the patients. Perioperative morbidity was seen in 10% and mortality in 4%. Three, four and five year survival rates up to the recent follow-up were 17.9%, 11.9% and 8.3%, respectively. Conclusions: Gastric cancer in Nepal is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and has a poor prognosis. Thus, early detection is the key to improve the survival of gastric cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.7
• /
• pp.3163-3167
• /
• 2014

Background: Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) plus radiotherapy is equivalent to modified radical mastectomy (MRM) in terms of outcome. However there is wide variation in mastectomy rates dependent both on tumour and patient characteristics. Objective: This study aimed to assess the determinants of surgery choice in Asian patients with early breast cancer in a middle-income country. Materials and Methods: 184 patients with early breast cancer treated between Jan 2008 and Dec 2010 were recruited to complete a questionnaire. Chi-square test was used to analyze the association between surgery choice and demographic and tumour factors, surgeon recommendation, family member and partner opinions, fear of recurrence, avoidance of second surgery, fear of disfigurement, interference with sex life, fear of radiation and loss of femininity. Results: 85 (46%) had BCS while 99 (54%) had mastectomy. Age >60, Chinese ethnicity, lower education level, and larger tumour size were significantly associated with mastectomy. Surgeon recommendation was important in surgery choice. Although both groups did not place much importance on interference with sex life, 14.1% of the BCS group felt it was very important compared to 5.1% in the mastectomy group and this was statistically significant. There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of the other factors. When analyzed by ethnicity, significantly more Malay and Indian women considered partner and family member opinions very important and were more concerned about loss of femininity compared to Chinese women. There were no statistical differences between the three ethnic groups in terms of the other factors. Conclusions: When counseling on surgical options, the surgeon has to take into account the ethnicity, social background and education level, age and reliance on partner and family members. Decision-making is usually a collective effort rather than just between the patient and surgeon, and involving the whole family into the process early is important.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.13
• /
• pp.5277-5281
• /
• 2014

Published studies have evaluated associations between the MDM2 SNP309T>G polymorphism and bladder cancer susceptibility. However, these generated inconsistent results. The aim of the present investigation was to quantify the strength of association between MDM2 SNP309T>G polymorphism and bladder cancer risk by conducting a meta-analysis. We searched PubMed and Embase for related studies that had been published in English before April 1, 2014 and associations were assessed by summarizing the odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Five case-control studies with a total of 972 cases and 1,012 controls were finally identified to be eligible for the meta-analysis. Overall, the results indicated that there was no significant association between the MDM2 SNP309T>G polymorphism and bladder cancer risk (for the allele model G vs. T: OR=1.08, 95% CI 0.85-1.36, p=0.54; for the co-dominant model GG vs. TT: OR=1.20, 95% CI 0.74-1.93, p=0.46; for the dominant model GG+GT vs. TT: OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.80-1.20, p=0.83; for the recessive model GG vs. GT+TT: OR=1.20, 95% CI 0.83-1.74, p=0.33). However, on subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significant associations were found in Caucasians in three models (for the allele model G vs. T: OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.10-1.81, p=0.006; for the co-dominant model GG vs. TT: OR=2.16, 95% CI 1.28-3.63, p=0.004; for the recessive model GG vs. GT+TT: OR=2.06, 95% CI 1.31-3.22, p=0.002). In summary, the present meta-analysis provides evidence that the genotype for the MDM2 SNP309T>G polymorphism may be associated with genetic susceptibility to bladder cancer among Caucasians.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.2109-2114
• /
• 2012

Background: Ethnic variation in tumor characteristics and clinical presentation of breast cancer is increasingly being emphasized. We studied the tumor characteristics and factors which may influence the presentation and prognosis of triple negative breast cancers (TNC) in a cohort of Chinese women. Methods: A prospective cohort of 1800 Chinese women with breast cancer was recruited in a tertiary referral unit in Hong Kong between 1995 and 2006 and was followed up with a median duration of 7.2 years. Of the total, 216 (12.0%) had TNC and 1584 (88.0%) had non-TNC. Their clinicopathological variables, epidemiological variables and clinical outcomes were evaluated. Results: Patients with TNC had similar age of presentation as those with non-TNC, while presenting at earlier stages (82.4% were stage 1-2, compared to 78.4% in non-TNC, p=0.035). They were likely to be associated with grade 3 cancer (Hazard Ratio(HR)=5.8, p<0.001). TNC showed higher chance of visceral relapse (HR=2.69, p<0.001), liver metastasis (HR=1.7, p=0.003) and brain metastasis (HR=1.8, p=0.003). Compared with non-TNC group, TNC had similar 10-year disease-free survival (82% vs 84%, p=0.148), overall survival (78% vs 79%, p=0.238) and breast cancer-specific mortality (18% vs 16%, p=0.095). However, TNC showed poorer 10-year stage 3 and 4 specific survival (stage 3: 53% vs. 67%, p=0.010; stage 4: 0% vs. 40%, p=0.035). Conclusions: Chinese women with triple negative breast cancer do not have less aggressive biological behavior compared to the West and presentation at a later stage results in worse prognosis compared with those with non triple negative breast cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.1887-1893
• /
• 2012

The aim of this study was to detail characteristics of mammary Paget's disease (PD) representing the whole population in China. A total of 4211 female breast cancer inpatients at seven tertiary hospitals from seven representative geographical regions of China were collected randomly during 1999 to 2008. Data for demography, risk factors, diagnostic imaging test, physical examination and pathologic characters were surveyed and biomarker status was tested by immunohistochemistry. The differences of demography and risk factors between PD with breast cancer and other lesions were compared using Chi-square test or t-test, with attention to physical examination and pathological characters. The percentage of PD was 1.6% (68/4211) in all breast cancers. The mean age at diagnosis was 48.1, and 63.2% (43/68) patients were premenopausal. There is no difference in demography and risk factors between PD with breast cancer and other breast cancer (P > 0.05). The main pattern of PD in physical exam and pathologic pattern were patients presenting with a palpable mass in breast (65/68, 95.6%) and PD with underlying invasive cancer (82.4%, 56/68) respectively. The rate of multifocal disease was 7.4% (5/68). PD with invasive breast cancer showed larger tumor size, more multifocal disease, lower ER and PR expression and higher HER2 overexpression than those in other invasive breast cancer (P < 0.05). These results suggested that PD in China is a concomitant disease of breast cancer, and that PD with underlying invasive cancer has more multiple foci and more aggressive behavior compared with other breast invasive cancer. We address the urgent needs for establishing diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for mammary PD in China.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.2
• /
• pp.1005-1010
• /
• 2014

Background: A relation between abdominal obesity and colorectal tumor development has been reported repeatedly, and is believed to be more remarkable in man than in women. However, the details vary depending on scientific reports. This may be due at least partly to the selected surface anthropometric index in addition to the influence of gender and ethnic groups. To cope with this, we considered a new index of abdominal obesity and evaluated its risk prediction potential. Materials and Methods: Six hundred ninety five Japanese (262 women and 433 men) who had a colonoscopy were studied. The new index was named as waist circumference to height index (WHI) and was calculated by the formula of waist circumference (cm)/height (m)/height (m). Biochemical and lifestyle factors were investigated preceding the colonoscopy. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows. Results: Increase of WHI was associated with altered metabolism of carbohydrate and lipid in both women and men. WHI was positively related with the development of colon tumor of women, while not with that of men. Logistic regression analysis performed for stratified age groups (45-54, 55-64 and 65-74 years) showed that WHI significantly increased odds ratio to 1.31 (CI 1.05-1.64 p=0.01) in women of 55-65 years. In contrast, in men this index WHI reduced the odds ratio insignificantly, while low density lipoprotein and triglyceride significantly increased the odds ratio to 1.01 (CI 1.00-1.03 p=0.02) in the 55-65 year group and to 1.02 (CI 1.00-1.03 p=0.02) in the 45-55 year group. Conclusions: In Japanese the risk factors for colon tumor development are different between women and men. WHI is a simple and efficient predictor of colon tumor risk in Japanese women and may be used to select those who should have colonoscopy.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
• /
• v.57 no.3
• /
• pp.125-134
• /
• 2014

Purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize Korean patients with Fanconi anemia (FA), which is a rare but very challenging genetic disease. Methods: The medical records of 12 FA patients diagnosed at Chonnam National University Hospital from 1991 to 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 6.2 years. All patients showed evidence of marrow failure and one or more physical stigmata. Chromosome breakage tests were positive in 9 out of 11 available patients. The median follow-up duration was 69.5 months. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival of all patients was 83.3% at 10 years and 34.7% at 20 years, respectively. Seven patients underwent 9 stem cell transplantations (SCTs). Among them, 5 were alive by the end of the study. Ten-year KM survival after SCT was 71.4% with a median follow-up of 3.4 years. All 5 patients treated with supportive treatment alone died of infection or progression at the median age of 13.5 years, except for one with short followup duration. Acute leukemia developed in 2 patients at 15.4 and 18.1 years of age. Among 6 patients who are still alive, 3 had short stature and 1 developed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: We provide information on the long-term outcomes of FA patients in Korea. A nation-wide FA registry that includes information of the genotypes of Korean patients is required to further characterize ethnic differences and provide the best standard of care for FA patients.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.18 no.10
• /
• pp.323-335
• /
• 2017

Recently, Korea is facing a trend of a fast-paced change towards a multi-cultural society, accompanied by the consequential increase in population and many changes in the peripheral environment. Particularly, the influx of multi-cultural families in Ansan City is increasing every year, but their housing environment remains in poor conditions. Actually, the research on housing policy for multi-cultural families and their housing satisfaction is restrictive. It is therefore necessary to research on how to overcome this problem, and what realistic policy alternatives are required. The purpose of this study is to present some policy alternatives to improve the housing satisfaction of the Korean-Chinese residing in Ansan City. To this end, this study conducted empirical analysis with a focus on Korea-Chinese multi-cultural families living in Ansan City through a questionnaire. As the analysis method, this study conducted frequency analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, cross analysis, and regression analysis, and used the statistical package-SPSS 20.0 as an analysis tool. As a result of the research, first, it was found that their awareness of the government housing policy is insufficient; second, they had a lot more hardships in housing due to the problem of the rising house prices caused by urban development & regeneration; third, in terms of housing tenure type, there was a higher proportion of a lease on a deposit basis and monthly rent than owner-occupied housing. Hence, this study drew the conclusion that the Korean-Chinese multi-cultural family's housing environment needs to be improved and policy support is required for Korean-Chinese. In addition, this study gives great significance in providing these research results as basic materials which make it possible to inquire into mutually reciprocal practice plan and strategic alternatives for a multi-cultural families from now on.