Evolution of Fetal Cardiac Imaging over the Last 20 Years.

The purpose of this article is to describe the evaluation of a variety of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound with different software, such as Cristal Vue, Realistic Vue, LumiFlow, and Spatiotemporal Image Correlation (STIC), with HDlive and HDlive Flow Silhouette modes. These technologies provide realistic images of the fetal heart and cardiac vessels using a fixed virtual light source that allows the operator to freely select a better light source position to enhance the cardiovascular anatomical details. In addition, Fetal Intelligent Navigation Echocardiography (FINE) technology, also known as "5D Heart" or "5D", is a technology that enables the automatic reconstruction of the nine standard fetal echocardiographic views and can alert non-specialists to suspected CHD. Through the use of artificial intelligence, an ultrasound machine is able to perform automatic anatomical and functional measurements. In addition, hese technologies enable the reconstruction of fetal cardiac structures in realistic images, improving the depth perception and resolution of anatomic cardiac details and blood vessels compared to those of standard two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound.

Antenatal diagnosis of congenital heart disease by 3D ultrasonography using spatiotemporal image correlation with HDlive Flow and HDlive Flow silhouette rendering modes.

This pictorial review describes the assessment of a great variety of types of congenital heart disease by three-dimensional ultrasonography with spatiotemporal image correlation using HDlive and the HDlive Flow silhouette rendering mode. These technologies provide fetal heart surface patterns by using a fixed virtual light source that propagates into the tissues, permitting a detailed reconstruction of the heart structures. In this scenario, ultrasound operators can freely select a better light source position to enhance the anatomical details of the fetal heart. HDlive and the HDlive Flow silhouette rendering mode improve depth perception and the resolution of anatomic cardiac details and blood vessel walls compared to standard two-dimensional ultrasonography.

Do we develop public health leaders?- association between public health competencies and emotional intelligence: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Professional development of public health leaders requires a form of instruction which is competency-based to help them develop the abilities to address complex and evolving demands of health care systems. Concurrently, emotional intelligence (EI) is a key to organisational success. Our aim was twofold: i) to assess the relationship between the level of self-assessed public health and EI competencies among Master of European Public Health (MEPH) students and graduates at Maastricht University, and; ii) to determine the relationship between different groups of public health competencies and specific EI skills. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted including all recent MEPH graduates and students from 2009-2012, out of 67 eligible candidates N = 51 were contacted and N = 33 responded (11 males and 22 females; overall response: 64.7%).Two validated tools were employed: i) public health competencies self-assessment questionnaire, and; ii) Assessing Emotions Scale. RESULTS: Females scored higher than males in all seven domains of the self-assessed key public health competencies (NS) and emotional intelligence competences (P = 0.022). Overall, the mean value of public health competencies was the lowest in students with "staff" preferences and the highest among students with mixed job preferences (P < 0.001). There was evidence of a correlation between the overall public health competencies and the overall emotional intelligence competencies (r = 0.61, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The study shows a positive correlation between public health specific competencies and EI attributes. It can contribute to the improvement of the educational content of PH curricula by rising awareness through self-assessment and supporting the identification of further educational needs related to leadership.

Public health in the 21st century: working differently means leading and learning differently.

BACKGROUND: Public health needs to adapt to the complex context of 21st century Europe. Unquestionably, leaders for health require new skills to face a myriad of wicked problems and challenges that are at a critical juncture for potential improvements. Public health curricula are traditionally oriented around core educational disciplines, and there is little room for developing students' leadership capabilities within the context of public health. The aim is to present the meaning of contemporary public health leadership based on qualitative research and propose a curriculum model for contemporary public health leadership. METHODS: A series of in-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with six European public health leaders from a variety of countries and professional backgrounds. The interviews recorded and transcribed. A thematic content analysis was undertaken to identify themes within the data. RESULTS: Five common themes that help to inform future leadership capacity arose from the interviews: the inner path of leadership, the essence of leadership, new types of leadership, future leaders' imperatives functioning within a complex and uncertain European public health context. CONCLUSION: The leadership thematic model makes an important contribution to defining public health leadership in Europe and can help to guide the content development of public health leadership curricula. The authors assert that a new 'integrative inquiry-based learning model', with leadership as a central component, will allow schools and departments of public health across Europe to be able to ensure that tomorrow's public health leaders are adequately trained and prepared for the challenges they will face.