New algorithms for rain attenuation correction of reflectivity factor and differential reflectivity are presented. Following the methodology suggested for the first time by Gorgucci et al., the new algorithms are developed based on the self-consistency principle, describing the interrelation between polarimetric measurements along the rain medium. There is an increasing interest in X-band radar...

Improving light trapping properties of metal surfaces by pulsed laser irradiation based techniques is a popular research field, which has numerous promising practical applications and technological importance. Albeit several studies have been published on the control of the reflectivity properties by means of microand nanostructures, there are still open questions regarding the reflectivity red...

We present 4 cases of facet cyst haematoma in the ligamentum flavum of the lumbar spine. All patients presented with a one-to-3-month history of back pain or numbness in the legs, and sudden neurological deterioration. One also developed cauda equina syndrome and another developed radiculopathy. In all cases, magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass with high signal intensity on both T1- and T2...

The application of the existing time-domain beampropagation method (TD-BPM) based on the finite-difference (FD) formula has been limited to the TE-mode analysis. To treat the TM mode as well as the TE mode, an improved TD-BPM is developed using a low-truncation-error FD formula with the aid of the alternating-direction implicit scheme. To improve the accuracy in time, a Padé (2,2) approximant i...

BACKGROUND Facet arthroplasty is a motion restoring procedure. It is normally suggested as an alternative to rigid fixation after destabilizing decompression procedures in the posterior lumbar spine. While previous studies have reported successful results in reproducing normal spine kinematics after facet replacement at L4-5 and L3-4, there are no data on the viability of facet replacement at t...

BACKGROUND Facet joints play a significant role in providing stability to the spine and they have been associated with low back pain symptoms and other spinal disorders. The influence of a follower load on biomechanics of facet joints is unknown. A comprehensive research on the biomechanical role of facets may provide insight into facet joint instability and degeneration. METHOD A nonlinear f...

BACKGROUND Lumbar facet joint pain is diagnosed by controlled diagnostic blocks. The accuracy of controlled diagnostic blocks has been demonstrated in multiple studies and confirmed in systematic reviews. Controlled diagnostic studies have shown an overall prevalence of lumbar facet joint pain in 31% of the patients with chronic low back pain without disc displacement or radiculitis, with an ov...

STUDY DESIGN A phantom experiment, two thermocouple experiments, three in vivo pig experiments, and a simulated treatment on a healthy human volunteer were conducted to test the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) for treating facet joint pain. OBJECTIVE The goal of the current study was to develop a novel method for accurate and safe non...

The aim of this study was to validate the Croatian translation of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26). For this purpose, 194 volunteers from the general population, both genders, aged between 18 and 60, were tested on this scale after it had undergone a repeated back-translation procedure by an independent bilingual translator. The mean total score on TAS-26 (mean ± SD) was 72.9±8.4. Cronbac...