Using an automated data processing algorithm, we examined electric field records of 5498 negative cloud-to-ground flashes reported by the U.S. National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) within 50 to 500 km of the Lightning Observatory in Gainesville (LOG), Florida. Out of the 5498 flashes, 3496 (64%) had detectable preliminary breakdown (PB) pulse trains. Only 3077 flashes with a single PB pul...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accuracy of the Depression Subscale of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) in spine surgery, comparing it to Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). METHODS In a cross-sectional study, the HADS-D and the BDI were applied to patients undergoing spine surgery for lumbar (n=139) or cervical spondylosis (n=17). Spearman correlation tests for HADS-D and BDI were appli...

OBJECTIVE To predict which intercostal artery supplies a tumor by examining the spatial relationship between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the intercostal artery feeding the tumor on transverse computed tomography (CT) images. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between January 2000 and September 2009, 46 intercostal arteries supplying HCCs smaller than 4 cm were noted in 44 patients, and CT scans and...

It is more common for educational and psychological data to be non-normal than to be approximately normal. This tendency may lead to bias and error in point estimates of the Pearson correlation coefficient. In a series of Monte Carlo simulations, the Pearson correlation was examined under conditions of normal and non-normal data, and it was compared to its major alternatives, including the Spea...

PURPOSE To assess the arterial stiffness in patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). METHODS Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (PWV) and ankle-brachial index were measured in 10 patients with BRVO (mean age 67.9 +/- 7.5 years) and in 18 age-matched controls (mean age 66.9 +/- 6.8 years). The controls were subjects with systemic essential hypertension having no retinal lesions. R...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The clinical course of stroke due to occlusion of the internal carotid artery is influenced by amount of collateral flow. We measured mean frequency shifts in the middle cerebral artery by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to determine its prognostic value. METHODS Patients with proven extracranial occlusion of the internal carotid artery and ipsilateral hemispheral ...

OBJECTIVE Inflammation is associated with both chronic kidney dysfunction and type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin, a novel circulating anti-inflammatory protein made by adipocytes, has been reported to be lower in diabetic than nondiabetic subjects. In contrast, serum levels of adiponectin are elevated in end-stage renal disease. We sought to investigate the relation between adiponectin and mild to mo...

Fatigue is one of the most distressing side effects of cancer for patients, yet clinicians often do not focus on it during busy clinic appointments. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new instrument designed to quickly identify patients experiencing difficulties with fatigue. The evaluation was conducted with a mixed group of 220 patients receiving chem...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the mechanical joint score (MJS) in terms of its reliability between observers and over time, its ease of use and its relationship with conventional measures of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity, severity and functional outcome. METHODS The MJS was evaluated in 103 patients with reference to the following joints: total proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, tot...

OBJECTIVES To study the correlation between Sunnybrook and House-Brackmann facial grading systems at different time points during the course of peripheral facial palsy. STUDY DESIGN Prospective multicenter trial. SETTING Seventeen otorhinolaryngological centers. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Data are part of the Scandinavian Bell's palsy study. The facial function of 1920 patients with peripheral ...