BACKGROUND Previous studies indicate that seasonal variation affects daily physical activity (PA), but none have investigated this relationship in individuals with heart failure (HF) who also have implanted cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy (ICD/CRT) devices. The purpose of the present study was to determine if seasonal variation in temperature affects daily PA i...

Objective: This is a prospective evaluation of chest wall integrity and pulmonary function in patients with operative stabilisation for ̄ail chest injuries. Methods: From 1990 to 1999, 66 patients (56 men, 10 women; mean age 52.6 years) with antero-lateral ̄ail chest ($4 ribs fractured at $2 sites) underwent surgical stabilisation using reconstruction plates. Clinical assessment and pulmonary f...

Although lead isotope ratios have been used to identify lead ammunition (lead shotshell pellets and bullets) as a source of exposure for First Nations people of Canada, the actual source of lead exposure needs to be further clarified. Whole blood samples for First Nations people of Ontario, Canada, were collected from participants prior to the traditional spring harvest of water birds, as well ...

PURPOSE Sports-related concussion has received increasing attention as a result of neurologic sequelae seen among athletes, highlighting the need for a validated, rapid screening tool. The King-Devick (K-D) test requires vision, eye movements, language function and attention in order to perform and has been proposed as a promising tool for assessment of concussion. We investigated the K-D test ...

We appreciate the thoughtful comments by Sperandei (1) on our article (2). Following are the requested clarifications. Sperandei’s first question was on how we could use paired t test and the Wilcoxon signed rank test for analyzing unpaired variables between two groups even though these tests are designed for paired variables. We would like to respond that we had used paired t test to see the c...

Editor: I read with great interest the article by Dr Megibow and colleagues (1) in the January 2006 issue of Radiology. I have some concerns about the Materials and Methods and Results sections of this article. In the Materials and Methods section, under the subtitle “Statistical Analysis,” the authors state that the two groups included in their study were compared with respect to the mean valu...

Signed graphs have their edges labeled either as positive or negative. Here we introduce two types of signed distance matrix for graphs. We characterize balance in using these matrices and obtain explicit formulae the spectrum some unbalanced also notion distance-compatible partially it.

OBJECTIVE Develop an efficient non-clinical method for identifying promising computer-based protocols for clinical study. An in silico comparison can provide information that informs the decision to proceed to a clinical trial. The authors compared two existing computer-based insulin infusion protocols: eProtocol-insulin from Utah, USA, and Glucosafe from Denmark. MATERIALS AND METHODS The au...

AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of three consecutive monthly injections of intravitreal ranibizumab for the treatment of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) in Korea. METHODS A retrospective chart review of 25 patients (27 eyes) with PCV was conducted. Patients received three initial monthly intravitreal injections (0.5 mg) of ranibizumab and were monitored monthly for 12mo betwee...

OBJECTIVE To ascertain the effect of endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) on lung function, intravenous (IV) antibiotic use, and hospitalization in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). DESIGN Retrospective analysis. SETTINGS Tertiary care center. PATIENTS Fifteen adults with a diagnosis of CF undergoing ESS between March 1, 2006, and June 31, 2008. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Twelve-month preoperative...