Observed-to-expected lung-area-to-head-circumference ratio on ultrasound examination vs total fetal lung volume on magnetic resonance imaging in prediction of survival in fetuses with left-sided diaphragmatic hernia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess and compare the value of antenatally determined observed-to-expected (O/E) lung-area-to-head-circumference ratio (LHR) on ultrasound examination vs O/E total fetal lung volume (TFLV) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination to predict postnatal survival of fetuses with isolated, expectantly managed left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). METHODS: This was a multicenter retrospective study including all consecutive fetuses with isolated CDH that were managed expectantly in Mannheim, Germany, and in five other European centers, that underwent at least one ultrasound examination for measurement of O/E-LHR and one MRI scan for measurement of O/E-TFLV during pregnancy. All MRI data were centralized, and lung volumes were measured by two experienced operators blinded to the pre- and postnatal data. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the effect on survival at hospital discharge of various perinatal variables, including the center of management. In left-sided CDH with intrathoracic herniation of the liver, receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC) curves were constructed separately for cases from Mannheim and the other five European centers and were used to compare O/E-TFLV and O/E-LHR in the prediction of postnatal survival. RESULTS: From Mannheim, 309 patients were included with a median gestational age (GA) at ultrasound examination of 29.6 (range, 19.7-39.1) weeks and median GA at MRI examination of 31.1 (range, 18.0-39.9) weeks. From the other five European centers, 116 patients were included with a median GA at ultrasound examination of 26.7 (range, 20.6-37.6) weeks and median GA at MRI examination of 27.7 (range, 21.3-37.9) weeks. Regression analysis demonstrated that the survival rates at discharge were lower in left-sided CDH (odds ratio (OR), 0.349 (95% CI, 0.133-0.918), P = 0.033) and those with intrathoracic liver (OR, 0.297 (95% CI, 0.141-0.628), P = 0.001), and higher with increasing O/E-TFLV (OR, 1.123 (95% CI, 1.079-1.170), P < 0.001), advanced GA at birth (OR, 1.294 (95% CI, 1.055-1.588), P = 0.013) and when birth occurred in Mannheim (OR, 7.560 (95% CI, 3.368-16.967), P < 0.001). Given the difference in survival rate between Mannheim and the five other European centers, ROC curve comparisons between the two imaging modalities were presented separately. For cases of left-sided CDH with intrathoracic herniation of the liver, pairwise comparison showed no significant difference between the area under the ROC curves for the prediction of postnatal survival between O/E-TFLV and O/E-LHR in Mannheim (mean difference = 0.025, P = 0.610, standard error = 0.050), whereas there was a significant difference in the other European centers studied (mean difference = 0.056, P = 0.033, standard error = 0.056). CONCLUSIONS: In fetuses with left-sided CDH and intrathoracic herniation of the liver, the predictive value for postnatal survival of O/E-TFLV on MRI examination and O/E-LHR on ultrasound examination was similar in one center (Mannheim), but O/E-TFLV had better predictive value compared to O/E-LHR in the five other European centers. Hence, in these five European centers, MRI should be included in the diagnostic process for left-sided CDH. © 2024 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Structured reporting in fetal magnetic resonance imaging with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to provide a template structured report of fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) that was locally validated by the CDH study group in Mannheim. METHODS: A selection of 50 fetal MRIs of patients with an isolated diaphragmatic hernia and associated radiology reports from five different senior radiologists from a single center resulted in a primary structured report, which was put into practice by using dedicated software. A questionnaire survey of the interdisciplinary CDH study group Mannheim was used to adapt the report to the clinical requirements. RESULTS: There was a huge variability in how deep the free text reports go into detail. The side of the hernia was named in 94% of cases. In 58%, both the lung volume and the total lung volume were reported. A comparison with the expected lung volume was reported in 66% of cases. Additional findings, such as herniated organs, were reported in 96% of cases. Overall satisfaction with the newly established structured report was high within the CDH study group with a mean of 4.7. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the structured report of this study can optimize the interdisciplinary dialog, the standardization of report content, increase report completeness and improve quality.

[Congenital diaphragmatic hernia : Imaging-from diagnosis to aftercare]. / Kongenitale Zwerchfellhernie : Bildgebung von der Diagnose bis zur Nachsorge.

STANDARD RADIOLOGICAL METHODS: Fetal: Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); postnatal: conventional X­ray diagnostics, computed tomography (CT) and MRI. METHODICAL INNOVATIONS: MRI-based lung ventilation and perfusion measurement. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: Lifelong follow-up care should be provided, in which radiology is part of the treatment team.

[Septic arthritis and transient synovitis of the hip]. / Septische Arthritis und Coxitis fugax.

CLINICAL/METHODICAL ISSUE: Differentiating between septic arthritis and transient synovitis can be challenging but is very important as a late diagnosis of septic arthritis can lead to sepsis and joint damage. For correct diagnosis and prediction of complications, the right combination of physical examination, laboratory and radiological studies is needed. STANDARD RADIOLOGICAL METHODS: Hip ultrasound is easy to learn and has a high sensitivity for joint effusion. Faster diagnosis and therapy are possible due to increasing use of ultrasound. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is primarily used to rule out co-infections (osteomyelitis, pyomyositis) and differential diagnoses. X­ray is typically nonremarkable in septic arthritis. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: Routine use of ultrasound in nontraumatic pediatric hip pain. Generous use of MRI in case of elevated inflammatory markers or inconclusive clinical findings. Using only few sequences may be appropriate to avoid sedation, primarily fluid sensitive sequences (fat-saturated T2, TIRM, STIR), in case of positive findings, accompanied by T1-weighted images.

Demonstration of improved laser preheat with a cryogenically cooled magnetized liner inertial fusion platform.

We report on progress implementing and testing cryogenically cooled platforms for Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) experiments. Two cryogenically cooled experimental platforms were developed: an integrated platform fielded on the Z pulsed power generator that combines magnetization, laser preheat, and pulsed-power-driven fuel compression and a laser-only platform in a separate chamber that enables measurements of the laser preheat energy using shadowgraphy measurements. The laser-only experiments suggest that ∼89% ± 10% of the incident energy is coupled to the fuel in cooled targets across the energy range tested, significantly higher than previous warm experiments that achieved at most 67% coupling and in line with simulation predictions. The laser preheat configuration was applied to a cryogenically cooled integrated experiment that used a novel cryostat configuration that cooled the MagLIF liner from both ends. The integrated experiment, z3576, coupled 2.32 ± 0.25 kJ preheat energy to the fuel, the highest to-date, demonstrated excellent temperature control and nominal current delivery, and produced one of the highest pressure stagnations as determined by a Bayesian analysis of the data.

[Sports injuries in children and adolescents]. / Sportverletzungen im Kindesalter.

CLINICAL/METHODOLOGICAL ISSUE: Due to active participation of children and adolescents in school sports as well as in club sports, sporting injuries in childhood are common. Because skeletal maturity is not yet complete, injury patterns in children differ from sporting injuries in adults. Knowledge of the pathophysiologic characteristics, as well as knowledge of typical injury sequelae, is of great relevance to radiologists. This review article therefore deals with common acute and chronic sporting injuries in children. STANDARD RADIOLOGICAL METHODS: Basic diagnostic imaging comprises conventional X­ray imaging in two planes. In addition, sonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are used. PRACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS: Close consultation with clinical colleagues and knowledge of childhood-specific injuries help identify sports-associated trauma sequelae.

Harmonic Generation and Inverse Cascade in the z-Pinch Driven, Preseeded Multimode, Magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor Instability.

The magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor instability (MRTI) plays an essential role in astrophysical systems and in magneto-inertial fusion, where it is known to be an important degradation mechanism of confinement and target performance. In this Letter, we show for the first time experimental evidence of mode mixing and the onset of an inverse-cascade process resulting from the nonlinear coupling of two discrete preseeded axial modes (400- and 550-µm wavelengths) on an Al liner that is magnetically imploded using the 20-MA, 100-ns rise-time Z Machine at Sandia National Laboratories. Four radiographs captured the temporal evolution of the MRTI. We introduce a novel unfold technique to analyze the experimental radiographs and compare the results to simulations and to a weakly nonlinear model. We find good quantitative agreement with simulations using the radiation magnetohydrodynamics code hydra. Spectral analysis of the MRTI time evolution obtained from the simulations shows evidence of harmonic generation, mode coupling, and the onset of an inverse-cascade process. The experiments provide a benchmark for future work on the MRTI and motivate the development of new analytical theories to better understand this instability.

[Individualized use of levosimendan in cardiac surgery]. / Individualisierter Einsatz von Levosimendan in der Herzchirurgie.

BACKGROUND: Levosimendan is a cardiac inotrope that augments myocardial contractility without increasing myocyte oxygen consumption. Additionally, levosimendan has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and other cardioprotective properties and is approved for treatment of heart failure. Recent studies indicated that these beneficial effects can be achieved with doses lower than the standard dose of 12.5 mg. Patients with preoperatively diagnosed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤40% received 1.25 mg levosimendan after induction of anesthesia. After surgery, administration of low-dose levosimendan was repeated until cardiovascular stability was achieved. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate if pharmacological preconditioning with 1.25 mg levosimendan in patients with LVEF ≤40% altered the postoperative need for inotropic agents, the incidence of newly occurring atrial fibrillation, renal replacement therapy, mechanical circulatory support and 30-day mortality. The cumulative dosage of levosimendan was recorded to assess the required dosage in the context of individualized treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with preoperatively diagnosed LVEF ≤40% who underwent cardiac surgery at this institution between January 2015 and December 2018 and who received 1.25 mg levosimendan after induction of anesthesia to prevent postoperative low cardiac output syndrome. Based on echocardiography results, invasive hemodynamic monitoring, and central venous or mixed venous oxygen saturation and lactate clearance, repetitive doses of levosimendan in 1.25 mg increments could be postoperatively administered until cardiovascular stability was achieved. The results were compared to the current literature. RESULTS: We identified 183 patients with LVEF <40% who received pharmacological preconditioning with 1.25 mg levosimendan. Maximum doses of epinephrine, incidence of atrial fibrillation, need for renal replacement therapy and 30-day mortality were found to be below the published rates of comparable patient collectives. In 73.2% of patients, a cumulative dosage of 5 mg levosimendan or less was considered sufficient. CONCLUSION: The presented concept of pharmacological preconditioning with 1.25 mg levosimendan followed by individualized additional dosing in cardiac surgery patients with preoperative LVEF ≤40% suggests that this concept is safe, with possible advantages regarding the need of inotropic agents, renal replacement therapy, and 30-day mortality, compared to the current literature. Individualized treatment with levosimendan to support hemodynamics and a timely reduction of inotropic agents needs further confirmation in randomized trials.

Performance Scaling in Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion Experiments.

We present experimental results from the first systematic study of performance scaling with drive parameters for a magnetoinertial fusion concept. In magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments, the burn-averaged ion temperature doubles to 3.1 keV and the primary deuterium-deuterium neutron yield increases by more than an order of magnitude to 1.1×10^{13} (2 kJ deuterium-tritium equivalent) through a simultaneous increase in the applied magnetic field (from 10.4 to 15.9 T), laser preheat energy (from 0.46 to 1.2 kJ), and current coupling (from 16 to 20 MA). Individual parametric scans of the initial magnetic field and laser preheat energy show the expected trends, demonstrating the importance of magnetic insulation and the impact of the Nernst effect for this concept. A drive-current scan shows that present experiments operate close to the point where implosion stability is a limiting factor in performance, demonstrating the need to raise fuel pressure as drive current is increased. Simulations that capture these experimental trends indicate that another order of magnitude increase in yield on the Z facility is possible with additional increases of input parameters.

Temperature distributions and gradients in laser-heated plasmas relevant to magnetized liner inertial fusion.

We present two-dimensional temperature measurements of magnetized and unmagnetized plasma experiments performed at Z relevant to the preheat stage in magnetized liner inertial fusion. The deuterium gas fill was doped with a trace amount of argon for spectroscopy purposes, and time-integrated spatially resolved spectra and narrow-band images were collected in both experiments. The spectrum and image data were included in two separate multiobjective analysis methods to extract the electron temperature spatial distribution T_{e}(r,z). The results indicate that the magnetic field increases T_{e}, the axial extent of the laser heating, and the magnitude of the radial temperature gradients. Comparisons with simulations reveal that the simulations overpredict the extent of the laser heating and underpredict the temperature. Temperature gradient scale lengths extracted from the measurements also permit an assessment of the importance of nonlocal heat transport.

Isolated impact of liver herniation on outcome in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia - A matched-pair analysis based on fetal MRI relative lung volume.

PURPOSE: To evaluate liver-herniation as individual parameter on outcome in children with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a retrospective matched-pair analysis based on observed to expected fetal lung volume (o/e FLV), birth weight, gestational age at time-point of examination, status of tracheal occlusion therapy and side of the defect the individual impact of liver-herniation on survival, need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy and chronic lung disease (CLD) was investigated. In total 61 pairs (122 patients) were included. Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate influence of liver-herniation and a p-value of <0.05 was defined as statistically significant. The study was approved by the local review board. RESULTS: Children with liver-herniation have lower survival rates (78.7% vs. 95.1%; p = 0.0073), need ECMO-therapy more often (41.0% vs. 16.4%; p = 0.0027) and are more likely to develop CLD (71.7% vs. 37.9%; p = 0.0004) than their corresponding matched-pair without liver-herniation. CONCLUSION: Liver-herniation itself and not further lung-volume restriction due to liver-herniation is responsible for poor outcome in CDH.

A 7.2 keV spherical x-ray crystal backlighter for two-frame, two-color backlighting at Sandia's Z Pulsed Power Facility.

Many experiments on Sandia National Laboratories' Z Pulsed Power Facility-a 30 MA, 100 ns rise-time, pulsed-power driver-use a monochromatic quartz crystal backlighter system at 1.865 keV (Si Heα) or 6.151 keV (Mn Heα) x-ray energy to radiograph an imploding liner (cylindrical tube) or wire array z-pinch. The x-ray source is generated by the Z-Beamlet laser, which provides two 527-nm, 1 kJ, 1-ns laser pulses. Radiographs of imploding, thick-walled beryllium liners at convergence ratios CR above 15 [CR=ri(0)/ri(t)] using the 6.151-keV backlighter system were too opaque to identify the inner radius ri of the liner with high confidence, demonstrating the need for a higher-energy x-ray radiography system. Here, we present a 7.242 keV backlighter system using a Ge(335) spherical crystal with the Co Heα resonance line. This system operates at a similar Bragg angle as the existing 1.865 keV and 6.151 keV backlighters, enhancing our capabilities for two-color, two-frame radiography without modifying the system integration at Z. The first data taken at Z include 6.2-keV and 7.2-keV two-color radiographs as well as radiographs of low-convergence (CR about 4-5), high-areal-density liner implosions.

Quantum size effect on charges and phonons ultrafast dynamics in atomically controlled nanolayers of topological insulators Bi2Te3.

Heralded as one of the key elements for next generation spintronics devices, topological insulators (TIs) are now step by step envisioned as nanodevices like charge-to-spin current conversion or as Dirac fermions based nanometer Schottky diode for example. However, reduced to few nanometers, TIs layers exhibit a profound modification of the electronic structure and the consequence of this quantum size effect on the fundamental carriers and phonons ultrafast dynamics has been poorly investigated so far. Here, thanks to a complete study of a set of high quality molecular beam epitaxy grown nanolayers, we report the existence of a critical thickness of around ~6 nm, below which a spectacular reduction of the carrier relaxation time by a factor of ten is found in comparison to bulk Bi2 Te3 In addition, we also evidence an A1g optical phonon mode softening together with the appearance of a thickness dependence of the photoinduced coherent acoustic phonons signals. This drastic evolution of the carriers and phonons dynamics might be due an important electron-phonon coupling evolution due to the quantum confinement. These properties have to be taken into account for future TIs-based spintronic devices.

Daptomycin for the treatment of major gram-positive infections after cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND: Infection is a main cause of morbidity and mortality after heart surgery, with multi-resistant pathogens increasingly representing a challenge. Daptomycin provides bactericidal activity against gram-positive organisms that are resistant to standard treatment including vancomycin. METHODS: A cohort of cardiac surgical patients, treated with daptomycin for major infection at two tertiary care centers, were retrospectively studied with a particular focus on the type of infection, causative pathogens and co-infections, daptomycin dosage, adverse events and outcome in order to provide evidence for the efficiency and safety of daptomycin in a distinct high-risk patient population. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients (87.7 % males, 60.4 ± 13.5 years) who had undergone aortic surgery (20.0 %), ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation (21.5 %), combined procedures (21.5 %), coronary artery bypass grafting (12.3 %), isolated valve surgery (15.4 %) and heart transplantation (7.7 %) were diagnosed with catheter-related infection (26.1 %), valve endocarditis (18.8 %), sternal wound (13.0 %), VAD-associated (11.6 %), cardiac implantable electrophysiological device (CIED)-associated (4.1 %), respiratory tract (4.3 %), bloodstream (4.3 %) and other infection (4.3 %). In 13.0 %, no focus of infection was identified though symptoms of severe infection were present. The most frequent pathogens were Staphylococcus epidermidis (30.4 %), Staphylococcus aureus (23.1 %) and Enterococcus species (10.1 %). Daptomycin doses ranging from 3 mg/kg every 48 h to 10 mg/kg every 24 h were administered for 15.4 ± 11.8 days. 87.0 % of the cases were classified as success, 7.2 % as treatment failure and 5.8 as non-evaluable. Adverse events were limited to one case of mild and one case of moderate neutropenia with recovery upon termination of treatment. CONCLUSION: Daptomycin proved safe and effective in major infection in high-risk cardiac surgical patients.

Intrauterine Contraception Continuation in Adolescents and Young Women: A Systematic Review.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Adolescents are at high risk for unintended pregnancies. Although intrauterine devices (IUDs), long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), are known to be highly effective in preventing pregnancy, little is known about IUD adherence in adolescents. In this systematic review (SR) we examined IUD continuation rates compared with other forms of contraception in young women aged 25 years and younger. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, INTERVENTIONS, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A systematic search of Ovid Medline, Cochrane Library, and Embase was conducted for the years 1946-2015. Included studies examined IUD use in women 25 years of age and younger, compared IUD use with another form of contraception, and measured continuation rates at 12 months. The quality of each study was appraised using the Downs and Black criteria, and 12-month continuation rates among studies were pooled and analyzed according to contraceptive type. RESULTS: Of 3597 articles retrieved, 9 studies met criteria for SR. Synthesized across studies, 12-month continuation was significantly higher for IUD users (86.5%, 12,761/14,747) compared with oral contraceptives (39.6%, 1931/4873), Depo-Provera (Pfizer Inc, New York, NY) hormonal injection (39.8%, 510/1282), vaginal ring (48.9%, 196/401), and transdermal patch (39.8%, 37/93; all P values < .001). There was no statistically significant difference in 12-month continuation between the IUD and another LARC method, the subdermal etonogestrel implant (85.3%, 4671/5474). CONCLUSION: Findings of this SR suggest that continuation rates for IUDs are generally higher compared with other contraceptive methods for women aged 25 years and younger. In a population with high rates of unintended pregnancies, generally low adherence, and imperfect use with other non-LARCs, IUD use should be encouraged.

Region of interest-based versus whole-lung segmentation-based approach for MR lung perfusion quantification in 2-year-old children after congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair.

OBJECTIVE: With a region of interest (ROI)-based approach 2-year-old children after congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) show reduced MR lung perfusion values on the ipsilateral side compared to the contralateral. This study evaluates whether results can be reproduced by segmentation of whole-lung and whether there are differences between the ROI-based and whole-lung measurements. METHODS: Using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI, pulmonary blood flow (PBF), pulmonary blood volume (PBV) and mean transit time (MTT) were quantified in 30 children after CDH repair. Quantification results of an ROI-based (six cylindrical ROIs generated of five adjacent slices per lung-side) and a whole-lung segmentation approach were compared. RESULTS: In both approaches PBF and PBV were significantly reduced on the ipsilateral side (p always <0.0001). In ipsilateral lungs, PBF of the ROI-based and the whole-lung segmentation-based approach was equal (p=0.50). In contralateral lungs, the ROI-based approach significantly overestimated PBF in comparison to the whole-lung segmentation approach by approximately 9.5 % (p=0.0013). CONCLUSIONS: MR lung perfusion in 2-year-old children after CDH is significantly reduced ipsilaterally. In the contralateral lung, the ROI-based approach significantly overestimates perfusion, which can be explained by exclusion of the most ventral parts of the lung. Therefore whole-lung segmentation should be preferred. KEY POINTS: • Ipsilaterally, absolute lung perfusion after CDH is reduced in whole-lung analysis. • Ipsilaterally, the ROI- and whole-lung-based approaches generate identical results. • Contralaterally, the ROI-based approach significantly overestimates perfusion results. • Whole lung should be analysed in MR lung perfusion imaging. • MR lung perfusion measurement is a radiation-free parameter of lung function.

Evidence for enhanced collagen type III deposition focally in the territorial matrix of osteoarthritic hip articular cartilage.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if type III collagen is concentrated in the chymotrypsin-extractable collagen pool from osteoarthritic articular cartilage to assess its potential as a biomarker of Osteoarthritis (OA) pathogenic mechanisms. METHODS: Full thickness articular cartilage from grossly normal surfaces was analyzed from femoral heads, obtained at hip replacement surgery, from OA (n = 10) and fracture (n = 10) patients. Collagen, extracted by α-chymotrypsin, was characterized by SDS-PAGE/Western blot analysis, ELISA and immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies specific to collagens types II and III. RESULTS: α-Chymotrypsin extracted more collagen from OA than control cartilage. The extractable pool included collagen types II and III from both OA and control hips. Importantly, OA cartilage contained 6-fold more collagen type III than control cartilage, based on ELISA. The estimated total tissue ratio of collagen III/II was in the 1-10% range for individual OA cartilage samples, based on pepsin-solubilized collagen using SDS-PAGE densitometry. Collagen type III N-propeptide trimers were the main molecular fragments seen on Western blot analysis of OA and control extracts. The chymotrypsin-extracted type II collagen gave primarily full-length α1(II) chains and chain fragments of α1(II) on Western blot analysis from both OA and control tissues. Immunohistochemistry showed that type III collagen was more concentrated in the upper half of OA cartilage and in the territorial matrix around individual chondrocytes and chondrocyte clusters. CONCLUSIONS: The findings confirm that collagen type III deposition occurs in adult articular cartilage but significantly more pronounced in osteoarthritic joints, presenting a potential marker of matrix repair or pathobiology.