Novel technique for ultrasound-guided needle tracking: An inexpensive reusable phantom model utilising a closed electrical circuit.

Purpose: Purpose:There are a variety of commercially made ultrasound training phantoms available for educational purposes. A new concept in phantoms is presented that utilises a low-cost method to create a reusable phantom. Methods: A closed electric circuit was combined with insulating material to create a novel phantom that can be used to practise needle tracking under ultrasound guidance on repeated occasions. A tricolour light-emitting diode (LED) illuminates when the needle (under ultrasound gudiance) contacts one of three metal objects embedded in the phatom material. Conclusion: This prototype model provides a simple solution for trianing ultrasound needle guidance is particularly geared towards programmes with a high volume of users. This protoype provides a starting point for a new concept in educational phantom trainers.

The National Association of Medical Examiners Position Paper on the Investigation and Certification of Pediatric Deaths From Environmental Neglect.

ABSTRACT: Pediatric deaths that occur because of environmental neglect often involve 4 common scenarios: (1) hyperthermia due to environmental exposure, (2) ingestion of an accessible drug or poison, (3) unwitnessed/unsupervised drownings, and (4) unsafe sleep practices. Given the same fact pattern, the manner of death will vary from accident to homicide to undetermined based on local custom and/or the certifier's training and experience. Medical examiner/coroner death certifications are administrative public health determinations made for vital statistical purposes. Because the manner of death is an opinion, it is understandable that manner determinations may vary among practitioners. No prosecutor, judge, or jury is bound by the opinions expressed on the death certificate. This position paper does not dictate how these deaths should be certified. Rather, it describes the challenges of the investigations and manner determinations in these deaths. It provides specific criteria that may improve consistency of certification. Because pediatric deaths often are of public interest, this paper provides the medical examiner/coroner with a professional overview of such manner determination issues to assist various stakeholders in understanding these challenges and variations.

Microplastic retention in marine vegetation canopies under breaking irregular waves.

The present study provides indications and underlying drivers of wave-induced transport and retention potential of microplastic particles (MP) in marine vegetation canopies having different densities. The anthropogenic occurrence of MP in coastal waters is well documented in the recent literature. It is acknowledged that coastal vegetation can serve as a sink for MP due to its energy dissipating features, which can mimic a novel ecosystem service. While the transport behavior of MP in vegetation has previously been investigated to some extent for stationary flow conditions, fundamental investigations for unsteady surf zone flow conditions under irregular waves are still lacking. Herein, we demonstrate by means of hydraulic model tests that a vegetation's retention potential of MP in waves increases with the vegetation shoot density, the MP settling velocity and decreasing wave energy. It is found that particles migrating by traction (predominantly in contact with the bed) are trapped in the wake regions around a canopy, whereas suspended particles are able to pass vegetated areas more easily. Very dense canopies can also promote the passage of MP with diameters larger than the plant spacing, as the canopies then show characteristics of a solid sill and avoid particle penetration. The particle migration ability through a marine vegetation canopy is quantified, and the key drivers are described by an empirical expression based on the particle settling velocity, the canopy length and density. The findings of this study may contribute to improved prediction and assessment of MP accumulation hotspots in vegetated coastal areas and, thus, may help in tracing MP sinks. Such knowledge can be considered a prerequisite to develope methods or new technologies to recover plastic pollutants and rehabilitate valuable coastal environments.

A Structured Pre- and Post-Operative Voice Therapy Program for Benign Vocal Fold Lesions

Benign vocal fold lesions (BVFLs) are acquired structural anomalies of the vocal folds, and these are primarily a result of vocal abuse or phonotrauma. Phonotraumatic lesions are not generally regarded as recurrent, provided that appropriate behavioral changes are made after resolution or surgical removal. Voice therapy plays a crucial role in this aspect. The aim of this article is to propose a structured pre- and post-operative voice therapy program for patients undergoing surgical intervention for BVFLs. Voice therapy post-surgery has been proven to reduce the rate of recurrence in BVFLs. Having a standard treatment protocol is a useful tool for the therapist, particularly one without extensive voice training.

Las lesiones benignas de los pliegues vocales (LBPV) son anomalías estructurales adquiridas de los pliegues vocales, y son principalmente el resultado de un abuso vocal o fonotrauma. Las lesiones fonotraumáticas generalmente no se consideran recurrentes, siempre que se realicen cambios apropiados en el comportamiento después de la resolución o la excisión quirúrgica. La terapia vocal juega un papel crucial en este aspecto. El objetivo de este artículo es proponer un programa estructurado de terapia de voz pre y postoperatorio para pacientes que son expuestos a una intervención quirúrgica para LBPV. Se ha demostrado que la terapia de voz después de la cirugía reduce la tasa de recurrencia en LBPV. Tener un protocolo de tratamiento estándar es una herramienta útil para el terapeuta, particularmente uno sin un entrenamiento extenso en patología de la voz.

Intelligent digital tools for screening of brain connectivity and dementia risk estimation in people affected by mild cognitive impairment: the AI-Mind clinical study protocol.

More than 10 million Europeans show signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transitional stage between normal brain aging and dementia stage memory disorder. The path MCI takes can be divergent; while some maintain stability or even revert to cognitive norms, alarmingly, up to half of the cases progress to dementia within 5 years. Current diagnostic practice lacks the necessary screening tools to identify those at risk of progression. The European patient experience often involves a long journey from the initial signs of MCI to the eventual diagnosis of dementia. The trajectory is far from ideal. Here, we introduce the AI-Mind project, a pioneering initiative with an innovative approach to early risk assessment through the implementation of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) on multimodal data. The cutting-edge AI-based tools developed in the project aim not only to accelerate the diagnostic process but also to deliver highly accurate predictions regarding an individual's risk of developing dementia when prevention and intervention may still be possible. AI-Mind is a European Research and Innovation Action (RIA H2020-SC1-BHC-06-2020, No. 964220) financed between 2021 and 2026. First, the AI-Mind Connector identifies dysfunctional brain networks based on high-density magneto- and electroencephalography (M/EEG) recordings. Second, the AI-Mind Predictor predicts dementia risk using data from the Connector, enriched with computerized cognitive tests, genetic and protein biomarkers, as well as sociodemographic and clinical variables. AI-Mind is integrated within a network of major European initiatives, including The Virtual Brain, The Virtual Epileptic Patient, and EBRAINS AISBL service for sensitive data, HealthDataCloud, where big patient data are generated for advancing digital and virtual twin technology development. AI-Mind's innovation lies not only in its early prediction of dementia risk, but it also enables a virtual laboratory scenario for hypothesis-driven personalized intervention research. This article introduces the background of the AI-Mind project and its clinical study protocol, setting the stage for future scientific contributions.