This application requests funds to offset costs needed to support invited speakers and to rent equipment esseential to the success of the Second International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (Expert Systems) as Diagnostic Consultants for the Cytologic and Histologic Diagnosis of Cancer. The intent is to provide a forum for technology transfer and synergistic interaction between investigators from two multidisciplinary fields of research, i.e., quantitative cytology and histopathology and knowledge engineering, expert system design, image data base management and machine vision. The goal is to explore the potential of recent technologic advances for improving the quality and reliability of cancer diagnosis. Using tutorial lectures and workshops, researchers from quantitative cyto/histopathology will be introduced to concepts of knowledge engineering. Through the dialogue provoked in panel discussions, the potential and limitations of expert systems as diagnostic consultants will be explored. Thus, the needs of the diagnostician will be conveyed to the developers of such systems, hopefully establishing bases for collaboration. Poster and platform presentations by participants will provide insight into related work currently ongoing in various laboratories. By limiting total registration to 150 and solicited presentations to 25, ample time will be provided for vigorous and unconstrained scientific exchange.
