The effect of dead elements on the accuracy of Doppler ultrasound measurements.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of multiple dead elements in an ultrasound probe on the accuracy of Doppler ultrasound measurements. For this work, we used a specially designed ultrasound imaging system, the Ultrasonix Sonix RP, that provides the user with the ability to disable selected elements in the probe. Using fully functional convex, linear, and phased array probes, we established a performance baseline by measuring the parameters of a laminar parabolic flow profile. These same parameters were then measured using probes with 1 to 10 disabled elements. The acquired velocity spectra from the functional probes and the probes with disabled elements were then analyzed to determine the overall Doppler power, maximum flow velocity, and average flow velocity. Color Flow Doppler images were also evaluated in a similar manner. The analysis of the Doppler spectra indicates that the overall Doppler power as well as the detected maximum and average velocities decrease with the increasing number of disabled elements. With multiple disabled elements, decreases in the detected maximum and average velocities greater than 20% were recorded. Similar results were also observed with Color Flow Doppler measurements. Our results confirmed that the degradation of the ultrasound probe through the loss of viable elements will negatively affect the quality of the Doppler-derived diagnostic information. We conclude that the results of Doppler measurements cannot be considered accurate or reliable if there are four or more contiguous dead elements in any given probe.

Epidemiology of suicide in Austria during 2000-2010: potential years of life lost: time for the national suicide prevention program.

BACKGROUND: This article investigates suicide rates from 2000 to 2010 in Austria, a country with now average rates that had started to decline in the mid-80s. RESULTS: Rates declined in the observed period, to an average of 26.1 per 100,000 persons for men, 8.2 for women, and 16.9 in the general population. The decrease was found in all age-groups, but more marked in women, with a reduction by 26.3 % compared with the previous decade than in men (20.0 % reduction). Hanging still is the most common method, 49.1 % for men and 35.0 % for women, although also on the decline. Furthermore, person years of lost life were calculated, also reflecting a decrease from 40,702 years in 2000 to 29,883 in 2010. Altogether, 372,551 years of life were lost by suicide in Austria in the period 2000-2010, 277,998 years among men and 94,553 years among women. CONCLUSIONS: Concerning the still observed increase in old age-groups and the huge amount of lost life years, it is argued that implementation of the National Suicide Prevention Programme for Austria is strongly needed.

Personality organization in borderline patients with a history of suicide attempts.

Suicide attempts (SA) are common in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Recent studies focus on aspects of personality associated with risk for SA such as deficits in affect regulation including impulse control and aggression. The current study examines associations of dysfunctional personality organization, psychiatric comorbidities as well as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) with SA in a sample of 68 BPD outpatients. Patients with a history of SA yielded higher scores in personality domains of aggression, especially self-directed aggression. Further, a history of SA was associated with a worse general level of personality organization and a higher prevalence rate of NSSI and substance abuse disorder. The results demonstrate that SA in BPD patients might be regarded as a manifestation of impaired personality functioning rather than mere state variables and symptoms. Moreover, these findings might have implications for indication, treatment, and prognosis of Borderline Personality Disorder.