Search

In this paper, the impact of the lips for identity recognition is investigated. In fact, it is a challenging issue for identity recognition solely by the lips. In the first stage of the proposed system, a fast box filtering is proposed to generate a noise-free source with high processing efficiency. Afterward, five various mouth corners are detected through the proposed system, in which it is also able to resist shadow, beard, and rotation problems. For the feature extraction, two geometric ratios and ten parabolic-related parameters are adopted for further recognition through the support vector machine. Experimental results demonstrate that, when the number of subjects is fewer or equal to 29, the correct accept rate (CAR) is greater than 98%, and the false accept rate (FAR) is smaller than 0.066%. (CAR95.02%, FAR0.095% # Subjects ≤ 57). Moreover, the processing speed of the overall system achieves 34.43 frames per second, which meets the real-time requirement. Thus, the proposed system can be an effective candidate for facial biometrics applications when other facial organs are covered or when it is applied for an access control system.

We report on a case of a 2 2/12-year-old boy with heterosexual precocious puberty secondary to a feminizing adrenocortical adenoma. The boy, with no previous history of disease or treatment, presented with bilateral gynecomastia and pubic hair development (Tanner III breasts and Tanner II pubic hair). Plasma estradiol and testosterone were 410.9 pg/ml and 126.2 ng/dl respectively. Basal plasma LH and FSH levels were within the normal range. Bolus i.v. injection of GnRH showed unresponsiveness of LH and FSH. Abdominal echography and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-defined mass at the left suprarenal region (measuring 4.0 x 2.7 x 3.6 cm in size). After removal of the adrenal tumor, the estradiol and testosterone levels fell to normal in 2 weeks. The gynecomastia and pubic hair regressed with time. The pathology of the tumor showed compact pattern with polygonal cells containing moderate eosinophilic cytoplasm without mitotic figure. These findings were consistent with an adrenocortical adenoma secreting estradiol and testosterone as the cause of the patient's heterosexual precocious puberty.

Objective: To differentiate tumor relapse from postirradiation sudden deafness (PISD) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Study Design: A retrospective study from December 1991 to November 1999. Setting: University hospital. Patients: Twenty-five irradiated NPC patients with sudden deafness were investigated. All patients received local examination of ears, nose, nasopharynx, and throat fields, as well as a battery of audiologic and neurotologic tests. Results: Three patients with sudden deafness within 3 years after irradiation received a diagnosis of tumor relapse. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed cerebellopontine angle metastasis in one and intracranial invasion in two. Comparison of the remaining 22 NPC patients who had P1SD showed that the mean interval between the completion of irradiation to the onset of sudden deafness was 10 ± 5 years. Conclusion: Magnetic resonance imaging should be performed to exclude intracranial relapse if sudden deafness develops in a patient with NPC within 5 years after irradiation.

Objective/Hypothesis: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination is performed in cases of rebound nystagmus to elucidate the responsible site for rebound nystagmus. Methods: Patients with vertigo or tinnitus received a battery of audiological and neuro-otological tests. Those who had rebound nystagmus were rechecked by electronystagmography and examined by MRI. Results: Ten patients had a second-degree nystagmus evoked by changing direction of fixation, from the lateral to the forward gaze. All patients displayed positive MRI findings in cerebellum or brainstem, including tumor in seven cases and stroke in three cases. Moreover, in seven of eight cases with unilateral lesions, rebound nystagmus was ipsilateral with respect to the side of the lesion. Conclusion: Rebound nystagmus implies a lesion in cerebellum or brainstem for which MRI examination is 100% sensitive. It has a certain lateralizing value, with its direction away from the lesioned side.