Waveform Score Research Articles

The Effect of Somatosensory Stimulation on Recovery of the Integrity of the Somatosensory Pathway after Brain Damage

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a 3-week somatosensory stimulation program on the integrity of the somatosensory pathway of patients with brain damage. The sample consisted of two groups of patients with brain damage matched by Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores and age: 8 patients with a mean age of 56.75 years who were treated with somatosensory stimulation, and 8 patients with a mean age of 58.88 years, who were not treated with sensory intervention program. A repeated measures matched-control group design was used to assess functional recovery of the brain. The instrument used in this study was SSEP (somatosensory evoked potentials), a neurophysiological parameter, for the integrity of the somatosensory pathway. The hypothesis that patients with brain damage who were treated with the somatosensory stimulation program will show higher SSEP wave form scores than the non-treatment group was supported (3rd week.: U=13.000, p=.014). Additional repeated measures analysis showed that there were no significant differences in recovery trends between the groups (F=1.945, p=.159). This study demonstrates that a somatosensory stimulation program is effective in promoting recovery of the integrity of the somatosensory pathway of patients with brain damage.

Intrarenal color duplex examination of aortic endograft patients with suprarenal stents.

To report an experience using intrarenal color duplex ultrasonography (ICDU) to detect high-grade renal artery stenosis in patients who had endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) with suprarenal stent fixation. Twenty-eight patients (25 men; mean age 71 years, range 58-83) who had endovascular AAA repair with suprarenal stenting at least 3 months prior to commencement of this study were screened with ICDU. Acceleration time (AT), peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV), and resistive index (RI) were measured. The Doppler waveform was quantitatively scored on a scale from 0 to 4. AT >0.07 seconds, RI <0.45, or a Doppler waveform score of 0 or 1 (indicating loss of early systolic peak) were indicative of high-grade renal artery stenosis. Median follow-up was 15.5 months (range 3-34). ICDU was successful in 54 (98%) of 55 kidneys scanned. No AT values exceeded 0.07 seconds, all RIs were >0.45, and no waveforms had loss of early systolic peak, indicating that no patient had evidence of high-grade renal artery stenosis. ICDU is a simple and affordable method that seems well suited to periodic screening in patients with suprarenal stents. Longer follow-up with a larger number of patients is needed before definite conclusions can be drawn about the effect of suprarenal stenting on renal circulation.

Analysis and Recommendation for Reuse of the L1 and L2 GPS Spectrum

This paper documents a year-long (July 1997-1998) scoring process led by the GPS Joint Program Office (JPO) and Space Warfare Center (SWC) to identify the best signal structure for the next 30 years of military and civilian GPS applications. The focus of this analysis was on waveform design for the reuse of the existing L1 and L2 GPS frequency allocations. The requirements for a new signal structure are explained, and the candidate waveform options are introduced. The scoring criteria and decision analysis are developed. The resulting waveform scores are presented by overall ranking and in terms of their scores by major criteria category. Civilian and military user preferences are also addressed. Finally, a waveform recommendation for reuse of both the L1 and L2 GPS frequencies is presented.