Ultrasound Measurements Research Articles

Estimation of in vivo body composition of Iberian pigs using bioelectric impedance and ultrasonography techniques

Iberian pigs are renowned for their high-quality products and distinctive characteristics, including high fat accumulation, low protein deposition rate, and a long productive cycle. The study aimed to assess in vivo body composition of purebred Iberian pigs using bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and ultrasonography. Accurate estimation of body composition in live animals is crucial for adopting decisions at the farm level. The experiment involved three groups of pure male Iberian pigs differing in body weight (BW; 60, 80 and 100 kg) with the same nutritional management. Body measurements, BIA and back fat and loin thickness (measured by ultrasonography) were obtained before slaughter. After slaughter pig carcasses were chemically analysed. A strong correlation between BIA measurements, specifically resistance (Rs) values, and body chemical parameters (total protein, lipids, ash, and water contents; p < 0.001 for all) was found. Reactance values (Xc), however, did not exhibit significant correlations. Regression analyses were conducted to predict carcass composition based on BIA measurements, BW, ultrasonography and linear corporal measurements. The prediction models achieved high R2 values for lipids, protein, total ash, water, and lean tissue (0.957, 0.968, 0.936, 0.961 and 0.976, respectively, p < 0.001 for all), indicating strong predictive power. These findings demonstrate the potential of non-invasive techniques such as BIA for estimating body chemical composition and quality of pig carcasses. However, it is important to acknowledge that the prediction models developed may not be applicable to other pig populations, as they were based on a specific sample of pigs.

Impact des antiviraux à action directe sur l'athérosclérose subclinique chez les patients atteints d’une hépatite C chronique

The impact of direct antiviral drugs (DAAs) on extrahepatic manifestations in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has been poorly studied. To assess the prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with CHC and the impact of DAAs on atherosclerotic lesions. Methods A 5-year prospective evaluative study, including patients followed for CHC at hepato-gastroenterology department. The subclinical atherosclerosis was assessed by ultrasound measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (IMTc) and the highest IMTc measurements from the left and right side defined the IMTc maximum (IMTc max). IMTc>75th percentile (IMTc75) define subclinical atherosclerosis with high cardiovascular risk. Patients were evaluated before (T0) and one year after DAAs therapy achievement (T1). At time T0, forty patients (median age: 55 y.; sex ratio M / F = 0.48), were included. Average value of IMTc max was 0.68 ± 0.16 mm. Subclinical atherosclerosis was noted in 82.5 %. At time T1, 28 patients were evaluated, all of whom completed sustained virological response (SVR). Compared to time T0, there was a significant increase in cholesterol (p = 0.001) and triglyceride (p = 0.009) levels. IMTc max was significantly higher at time T1 compared to T0 (0.75 Vs 0.67 mm, p = 0.04). Prevalence of IMTc75 was 82.1% at time T0 and 75% at time T1 (p=0.5). SVR, in CHC patients treated with DAA, was associated with worsening of carotid atherosclerotic lesions.

Exposure to Canadian French Cued Speech Improves Consonant Articulation in Children With Cochlear Implants: Acoustic and Articulatory Data.

One of the strategies that can be used to support speech communication in deaf children is cued speech, a visual code in which manual gestures are used as additional phonological information to supplement the acoustic and labial speech information. Cued speech has been shown to improve speech perception and phonological skills. This exploratory study aims to assess whether and how cued speech reading proficiency may also have a beneficial effect on the acoustic and articulatory correlates of consonant production in children. Eight children with cochlear implants (from 5 to 11 years of age) and with different receptive proficiency in Canadian French Cued Speech (three children with low receptive proficiency vs. five children with high receptive proficiency) are compared to 10 children with typical hearing (from 4 to 11 years of age) on their production of stop and fricative consonants. Articulation was assessed with ultrasound measurements. The preliminary results reveal that cued speech proficiency seems to sustain the development of speech production in children with cochlear implants and to improve their articulatory gestures, particularly for the place contrast in stops as well as fricatives. This work highlights the importance of studying objective data and comparing acoustic and articulatory measurements to better characterize speech production in children.

Implementation of sonopartogram: multicenter feasibility study.

Well-established clinical practice to assess progress in labor involves routine abdominal palpation and vaginal examination (VE). However, VE is subjective, poorly reproducible and painful for women. In this study, our aim is to evaluate the feasibility of systematically integrating transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound assessment of fetal position, psAOP, HPD and SCD to monitor labor progress in women undergoing induction of labor (IOL). We also aim at determining if ultrasound can reduce women's pain during examinations. Women were recruited as they presented for IOL in three maternity units. Ultrasound assessments were performed in 100 women between 37+0 and 41+6 weeks' gestation. A baseline combined transabdominal and transperineal scan was performed, including the assessment of fetal biometry, umbilical artery and middle cerebral artery Dopplers, amniotic fluid index (AFI), fetal spine and occiput positions, psAOP, HPD, SCD, and cervical length. Intrapartum scans were performed instead of VEs according to protocol. Participants were asked to indicate their level of pain by verbally giving a pain score from 0 - 10 (with 0 representing no pain) during assessment. The repeated measures data were analyzed by mixed effect models to identify the significant factors that affected the relationship between psAOP, HPD, SCD and mode of delivery. 223 intrapartum ultrasound scans with a median of 2 scans per participant (interquartile range (IQR) = 1 - 3), and 151 VEs were performed with a median of 1 per participant (IQR=0 - 2). There were no adverse fetal or maternal outcomes. After excluding those with epidural anesthesia during examination, median pain score for intrapartum scan was 0 (IQR=0 - 1) and 3 for VE (IQR=0 - 6). Cesarean delivery and epidural anesthesia were significantly associated with slower rate of change in psAOP, HPD and SCD. Maternal height, parity and neonatal birth weight did not affect ultrasound measurements of labor progress. Comprehensive transabdominal and transperineal ultrasound assessment can be successfully used to assess progress in labor and can reduce the level of pain experienced during examination. Ultrasound assessment may be able to replace some transabdominal and VE examinations during labor. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Effect of a Ten-week Sensorimotor Exercise Program on the Side-to-Side LAM Asymmetry of Adolescent Football Players: A Randomized Control Trial.

In this study we, evaluated the effects of a 10-week sensorimotor exercise program on the thickness and side-to-side asymmetry of the lateral abdominal muscles in adolescent soccer players. From among 120 initially recruited participants, we included 90 athletes (aged 10-17 years old) in our final analysis. Healthy athletes who met our inclusion criteria were randomly divided into comparative experimental and control groups. Sensorimotor exercises were conducted twice weekly for 10-weeks in the experimental group, and the control group received no intervention. We took ultrasound measurements when participants were in supine and standing rest positions. In the supine position, the experimental group (a) reduced the asymmetry of the internal oblique (IO) muscle by 0.4mm (MD: 0.7; 95% CI 0.6-1.1); (b) increased the thickness of the external oblique (EO) muscle on the right by 0.7mm (MD: 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.6) and on the left by 0.9mm (MD: 0.2, 95% CI 0.2-0.7); and (c) increased the muscle on the IO right by 0.8mm (MD: 0.3; 95% CI 0.2-0.9) and on the, left by 1.2mm (MD: 0.4 95% CI 0.3-1.1). In a standing position the experimental group increased the thickness of the EO on the right by 1.5mm (MD: 0.6; 95% CI 0.03-1.2) and on the left by 2.1mm (MD: 0.6; 95% CI 0.1-1.3) and increased the IO on the right by 1.2mm (MD: 0.7; 95% CI 0.2-1.7) and on the left by 1.1mm (MD: 0.9; 95%CI 0.1-2.0). Thus, this 10-week program of additional sensorimotor exercises reduced the (side-to-side) asymmetry of the internal oblique muscle and increased the thickness of the EO and IO muscles in young football players.

A new possible marker: can pennation angle defined by ultrasound predict the frailty?

BackgroundFrailty indicates older people who are vulnerable to stressors. The relation between ultrasonographic parameters of muscle and frailty among older people has yet to be investigated.AimsThe aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between frailty and the ultrasonographic measurements of the rectus femoris muscle (RFM).MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 301 participants who were ≥65 years. The FRAIL questionnaire assessed frailty. The thickness, cross-sectional area (CSA), fascicle length, pennation angle (PA), stiffness, and echogenicity of RFM were assessed by ultrasound. The accuracy of parameters in predicting the frailty was evaluated by ROC analysis.ResultsOf all 301 participants, 24.6% were frail. Pre-frail and frail participants had significantly lower thickness (p = 0.002), CSA (p = 0.009), and fascicle length (p = 0.043) of RFM compared to robust. PA was significantly lowest in frails (p < 0.001). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that PA values lower than 10.65 degrees were an independent predictor of frailty (OR = 0.83, 95% Cl: 0.70–0.97, p = 0.019). Results of ROC analysis demonstrated a satisfactory result between the PA and frailty (AUC = 0.692, p < 0.001).DiscussionThickness, CSA, and PA of RFM were found to be lower in frail subjects, which may indicate the changes in muscle structure in frailty. Among all parameters, lower PA values were independent predictors of frailty. These findings may indicate a novel ultrasound-based method in frailty, that is more objective and unrelated to the cross-sectional evaluation.ConclusionsUltrasonographic measurements of RFM, especially the lower PA may predict frailty in older people. As an objective and quantitative method, PA may be used to define frailty with acceptable sensitivity.

Sonographic Measurements of Rectus Femoris Muscle Thickness Strongly Predict Neutropenia in Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy.

The objective of this study was to explore the possible association between low skeletal muscle mass (SMM)-assessed by computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound (US)-and hematologic toxicity in cancer patients. A prospective cohort study was conducted in cancer patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy between 2018 and 2020 and who had baseline abdominal CT including L3 level for measuring SMM. Regional muscle measurements were carried out using US. A total of 65 patients (14 males, 51 females) were included. ROC (receiver operating characteristic) analysis identified threshold values of 18.0 mm [AUC (area under the curve) = 0.765] for females and 20.0 mm (AUC = 0.813) for males, predicting severe neutropenia. Using these cut-offs, females with low rectus femoris (RF) thickness (<18.0 mm) had a significantly higher incidence of grade ≥3 neutropenia (50.0% vs. 10.8%, p = 0.005), and males with low RF values (<20.0 mm) had a higher incidence (80.0% vs. 22.2%, p = 0.063). A regression analysis, irrespective of age, gender, and body mass index, revealed that only low RF muscle thickness increased the risk of grade 3-4 neutropenia by 9.210 times (95% CI = 2.401-35.326, p = 0.001). Utilizing US to measure RF muscle thickness aids in identifying cancer patients at an elevated risk of developing neutropenia. Needless to say, US can serve as a convenient and easily accessible tool for assessing low SMM, providing repeat point-of-care evaluations in clinical practice.

Effect of maternal serum albumin level on birthweight and gestational age: an analysis of 39200 singleton newborns.

Serum albumin plays a pivotal role in regulating plasma oncotic pressure and modulating fluid distribution among various body compartments. Previous research examining the association between maternal serum albumin levels and fetal growth yielded limited and inconclusive findings. Therefore, the specific influence of serum albumin on fetal growth remains poorly understood and warrants further investigation. A retrospective study involved 39200 women who had a singleton live birth at a tertiary-care academic medical center during the period from January 2017 to December 2020. Women were categorized into four groups according to the quartile of albumin concentration during early pregnancy: Q1 group, ≤41.0 g/L; Q2 group, 41.1-42.6 g/L; Q3 group, 42.7-44.3 g/L and Q4 group, >44.3 g/L. The main outcome measures were mid-term estimated fetal weight, birthweight and gestational age. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analysis were performed to detect the independent effect of maternal serum albumin level on fetal growth after adjusting for important confounding variables. In the crude analysis, a significant inverse correlation was found between early pregnancy maternal serum albumin levels and fetal growth status, including mid-term ultrasound measurements, mid-term estimated fetal weight, birthweight, and gestational age. After adjustment for a number of confounding factors, mid-term estimated fetal weight, birthweight, and birth height decreased significantly with increasing albumin levels. Compared to the Q2 group, the Q4 group had higher rates of preterm birth (aOR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.01-1.34), small-for-gestational-age (aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.11-1.45) and low birthweight (aOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.18-1.69), and lower rate of large-for-gestational-age (aOR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78-0.94). Moreover, to achieve the optimal neonatal outcome, women with higher early pregnancy albumin levels required a greater reduction in albumin levels in later pregnancy stages. A higher maternal serum albumin level during early pregnancy was associated with poor fetal growth, with the detrimental effects becoming apparent as early as the mid-gestation period. These findings provided vital information for clinicians to predict fetal growth status and identify cases with a high risk of adverse neonatal outcomes early on.

Evaluation of the Interrater Reliability of Sonographic Measurements of Muscle Thickness of 38 Piriformis Muscles in 19 Patients with Piriformis Syndrome.

BACKGROUND The piriformis muscle is a flat superficial muscle of the deep gluteal muscles that externally rotates the hip. Ultrasound is widely used to identify the piriformis muscle, especially for guidance of the needle during injections; however, its diagnostic use has recently gained popularity. The operator-dependent nature of ultrasound requires demonstration of reliability between operators. This study aimed to evaluate interrater reliability of sonographic measurements of muscle thickness of 38 piriformis muscles in 19 patients with piriformis syndrome. MATERIAL AND METHODS An ultrasound transducer was placed transversely on the sacral spinous process and moved caudo-laterally until the piriformis muscle was visualized under the gluteus maximus while patients were lying in prone position. The thickness of piriformis muscle was measured with a 2 to 5-MHz broadband curvilinear transducer in 3 regions (thickest regions of muscle over the ilium, near the greater trochanter, and near the sacrum). The interrater reliability of measurements of 2 examiners who were blinded to each other's measurements was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS In total, 114 samples from 38 piriformis muscles of 19 patients with a diagnosis of piriformis syndrome were evaluated by 2 raters in this study. The median (interquartile range) patient age was 41 (15) years. Intraclass correlation coefficient value for overall thickness measurements of piriformis muscle was 0.836. Intraclass correlation coefficient values for 3 different regions were over the ilium, near the greater trochanter, and near the sacrum were 0.777, 0.883, and 0.811, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound measurement of piriformis muscle thickness has good interrater reliability.

52 Evaluation of linseed meal on ovarian follicular development after synchronization in preovulatory small ruminants during seasonal anestrus

Abstract Seasonal estrous of small ruminants can hinder overall reproductive efficiency of holistic management strategies involving sheep and goats. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of increased melatonin containing feed ingredients on ovarian function during seasonal anestrus. Ovarian follicle number and follicle sizes were evaluated on Spanish × Boer cross does and Rambouillet ewes amounts of lineseed meal in the treatment diet (P30DIET) or an isocoloric and isonitrogenous control diet (CON). The P30DIET contained 2.5% linseed meal which contained increased melatonin (Manchester et al. 2000). At d -18 ewes and does were stratified by age into treatment groups and the P30DIET and CON diets were supplemented (0.91 kg and 0.68 kg per animal per day for sheep and goats, respectively). Synchronization protocols were administered at d 0 for both groups and ovarian ultrasound measures were collected 48 h after the removal of the controlled internal drug release device (CIDR). Mixed model procedures of SAS were used to analyze the number of dominant follicles that were present following the synchronization protocols. The number of dominant follicles observed in the P30DIET goats was significantly greater than the CON consuming goats (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Least Squares Means estimates (LSMEANS) in the P30DIET were 1.5 ± 0.20 as compared with CON goats (0.91 ± .21). These data suggest that flushing small ruminants with greater linseed meal during the seasonal anestrus period can increase the number of dominant follicles therefore implying an improvement in reproductive efficiency in holistic management strategies of small ruminants.

Quantitative assessment of carotid ultrasound diameter measurements in the operating room: a comparable analysis of long-axis versus rotated and tilted orientation

Objective. Carotid ultrasound (US) has been studied as a non-invasive alternative for hemodynamic monitoring. A long-axis (LA) view is traditionally employed but is difficult to maintain and operator experience may impact the diameter estimates, making it unsuitable for monitoring. Preliminary results show that a new, i.e. rotated and tilted (RT) view is more robust to motion and less operator-dependent. This study aimed to quantitatively assess common carotid diameter estimates obtained in a clinical setting from an RT view and compare those to corresponding estimates obtained using other views. Approach. Carotid US measurements were performed in 30 adult cardiac-surgery patients (26 males, 4 females) with short-axis (SA), LA, and RT probe orientations, the first being used as a reference for measuring the true vessel diameter. Per 30 s acquisition, the median and spread in diameter values were computed, the latter representing a measure of robustness, and were statistically compared between views. Main results. The median (IQR) over all the patients of the median diameter per 30 s acquisition was 7.15 (1.15) mm for the SA view, 7.03 (1.51) mm for the LA view, and 6.99 (1.72) mm for the RT view. The median spread in diameter values was 0.18 mm for the SA view, 0.16 mm for the LA view, and 0.18 mm for the RT view. There were no statistically significant differences between views in the median diameter values (p = 0.088) or spread (p = 0.122). Significance. The RT view results in comparable and equally robust median carotid diameter values compared to the reference. These findings open the path for future studies investigating the use of the RT view in new applications, such as in wearable ultrasound devices.

Relation Between Ultrasonographic Measurements of the Biceps Brachii and Total Muscle Mass in Older Hospitalized Persons: A Pilot Study.

To assess the link between ultrasonographic measurements of the biceps brachii and total muscle mass measured by bio-impedancemetry in hospitalized older patients. A prospective observational study was conducted. The study included patients older than 65 years admitted in internal medicine, acute geriatrics, orthogeriatrics and rehabilitation departments. All measurements, ultrasonographic measurements and muscle mass and function by bio-impedancemetry and dynamometry, were taken within the first 48 hours of admission. In total 19 patients were included, the mean age was 85.4 ± 3.9 years and 7 (36.8%) were females. Very strong direct correlations were obtained in the entire cohort in both biceps brachii cross-sectional area and muscle thickness with skeletal muscle mass displayed in kilograms. Biceps brachii looks like a very good muscle measuring tool: easy, comfortable, fast, good correlated with total body muscle mass. This muscle could effectively be used for the assessment of muscle mass in the diagnosis of sarcopenia since it reflects muscle mass precisely, however more studies are needed to provide reference values in all age cohorts.

Waveform characteristics in thoracic paravertebral space: a prospective observational study

Background With increased use of thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) in thoracic surgery, many faced the challenge of locating the thoracic paravertebral space (TPVS) ultrasonographically. This observational study aimed to investigate the waveform characteristics and pressure value within the TPVS in anaesthetized patients with controlled ventilation. Methods 50 patients scheduled for elective lung surgery were enrolled. After conduction of anesthesia, all patients underwent TPVB at T4/5 and T6/7 using transverse, in-plane ultrasound guidance. A pressure transducer system with a desktop monitor was connected to the needle hub to measure pressure values and waveform characteristics in three locations: the paraspinal muscles, immediately behind the superior costotransverse ligament, and within the TPVS. Next, 15 mL of 0.33% bupivacaine was injected into each desired TPVS. After completion of the surgery, the extent of dermatomal blockade and the pain score was assessed in all patients. Results 98 typical regular respiratory waveforms with a mean pressure of ≤ 25 mmHg were detected in the TPVS of 50 patients. The sensitivity of the combined ultrasound and pressure waveform measurement technique to identify the TPVS was 95.45% (95% confidence interval, 84.527–99.445). Nontypical respiratory waveforms were present in two patients. Factors interfering with the TPVS waveform characteristics were previous thoracic surgery and chronic pleural inflammation. Conclusion The TPVS had low pressure and showed a smooth, regular waveform pattern corresponding to respiration.

Proposal for Diagnostic Criteria of Y-Shaped Dysmorphic Uterus Based on 3-Dimensional Transvaginal Ultrasound Measurements

Study ObjectiveTo define objective and readily applied diagnostic criteria for Y-shaped uteri using 3-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVUS) volume recordings. DesignA retrospective case-control diagnostic measurements study. SettingA tertiary university hospital's reproductive health and research center. PatientsTwo hundred thirteen patients who presented with infertility between January 2020 and December 2022. InterventionsTwo blinded physicians re-evaluated the 3D-TVUS images of all patients for the presence of a uterine abnormality. The images of patients with a Y-shaped uterus were re-evaluated, and descriptive measurements were done. Measurements and Main ResultsThe most common uterine abnormality in this cohort was the Y-shaped uterus with a prevalence of 12.2%, followed by the arcuate, T-shaped, and septate uteri, respectively. Reviewers identified 26 and 28 Y-shaped uteri, respectively, and came to a consensus on 25 images. Diagnostic criteria for the Y-shaped uterus based on 3D-TVUS findings have been specified as: lateral indentation depths between 4 and 7 mm, fundal indentation depth between 5 and 9 mm, lateral indentation angles between 121° and 149°, fundal indentation angle between 121° and 145°, and Y-angles 25° to 46°. ConclusionSome subtypes of dysmorphic uteri, such as the Y-shaped uterus, whose clinical significance is unknown and may be variants of the normal, may actually be more common than thought. Determining objective diagnostic criteria with 3D-TVUS will allow standard research on these anomalies and their clinical significance.

Utilité de la mesure échographique du segment utérin inférieur avant accouchement parmi les femmes ayant un antécédent de césarienne: revue de la littérature

Identifying women with a history of cesarean delivery and at real risk for uterine rupture is an important aim in obstetric care. It is with this objective that different authors have evaluated the interest of ultrasound for predicting the risk of a cesarean scar defect by measuring the thickness of the lower uterine segment. The literature is sparse and subject to numerous biases because they are mainly prospective cohort studies with small numbers. However, the results are concordant: Ultrasound measurements of lower uterine segment thickness are strongly correlated with the operative findings observed during cesarean delivery. Moreover, the thinner the lower uterine segment on ultrasound, the higher the likelihood of a uterine defect. Two randomized trials have recently been published. The PRISMA cluster randomized controlled trial evaluated a multifaceted intervention including an ultrasound estimation of the risk of uterine rupture by ultrasound measurement of the lower uterine segment thickness and aimed at helping women in their choice of mode of delivery after a previous cesarean delivery. This multifaceted intervention resulted in a significant reduction in the rates of major perinatal and maternal morbidity, without any increase in the rate of cesarean delivery or uterine rupture. However, due to its design, it is impossible to specifically specify the benefit of lower uterine segment measurement in reducing major maternal and perinatal morbidity since the trial combined several interventions. The LUSTrial randomized controlled trial evaluated the impact on maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality of proposing a mode of delivery based on ultrasound measurement of the lower uterine segment thickness compared to usual care among women with a history of cesarean delivery. Ultrasound measurement of lower uterine segment thickness was not associated with a statistically significant reduction in maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality compared to usual care. In this literature review, we will mainly detail and analyze the results of this trial.

Comparison of the efficacy between ultrasound measurement of cross-sectional area of the umbilical cord and Hadlock's formula in the prediction of neonatal birth weight at term gestation: cross-sectional study

Comparison of the efficacy between ultrasound measurement of cross-sectional area of the umbilical cord and Hadlock's formula in the prediction of neonatal birth weight at term gestation: cross-sectional study

Fetal Anterior Abdominal Wall Thickness as an Indicator of Gestational Diabetes: A Sonographic Study

Objective: During pregnancy, sonographic measurements of subcutaneous adipose tissue may be a reliable diagnostic predictor of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and fetal metabolism. A sonographic view of the fetal abdominal circumference can be used to measure the fetal anterior abdominal wall thickness (AAWT), which is straightforward and simple. Consequently, in this study, the aim was to evaluate whether the fetal AAWT value could be used as a diagnostic indicator of GDM, thus preventing the adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes thereof, including shoulder dystocia, neonatal hypoxia, and injury to the birth canal, secondary to fetal macrosomia. Materials and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a hospital in Lahore, Pakistan, over a 9-month period. A total of 176 female participants in their third trimester of pregnancy were included in this study. The participants were assigned to two cohorts: a cohort of 88 participants diagnosed with GDM and a control cohort of 88 participants without GDM. An independent sample t test, analysis of variance, and chi-square test were used to compare the characteristics between the two cohorts of participants. A final analysis was performed to determine the strength of the correlations between the estimated fetal weight (EFW) and AAWT values. Results: The GDM and control cohorts had mean fetal AAWT values of 12.65 ± 1.276 and 6.389 ± 1.503, respectively. Thus, a statistically significant difference in the fetal AAWT values was observed between the GDM and control cohorts. Furthermore, a statistically significant positive correlation between the EFW and AAWT values was observed ( P = .01). Conclusion: This study highlighted that women with GDM have a considerably higher fetal AAWT values than those without GDM. In addition, the findings revealed that the AAWT value was correlated with the EFW value. Consequently, an increased fetal AAWT value can potentially be utilized as a predictive indicator for those pregnant women at risk of developing GDM, thus preventing adverse maternal and fetal outcomes.

The impact of high-frequency transducers on the sonographic measurements of the pyloric muscle thickness in infants.

Ultrasound is the modality of choice for the diagnosis of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS). The evolution of high-frequency transducers in ultrasound has led to inconsistent ways of measuring the pylorus. To standardize the measurements and evaluate the appearance of the normal and hypertrophied pylorus with high-frequency transducers. We retrospectively analyzed abdominal ultrasounds of infants with suspected HPS from January 2019-December 2020. We classified the layers of the pylorus while assessing the stratified appearance. Two pediatric radiologists measured the muscle thickness of the pylorus independently by two methods for interrater agreement. Measurement (a) includes the muscularis propria and muscularis mucosa. Measurement (b) includes only the muscularis propria. We also evaluated the echogenicity of the muscularis propria. The interrater agreement, mean, range of the muscle thickness, and the diagnostic accuracy of the two sets of measurements were calculated. We included 300 infants (114F:186M), 59 with HPS and 241 normal cases. There was a strong agreement between the readers assessed in the first 100 cases, and ICC was 0.99 (95% CI, 0.98-0.99). Measurement (a), median thickness is 2.4mm in normal cases and 4.8mm in HPS. Measurement (b), median thickness is 1.4mm in normal cases and 4.0mm in HPS. Measurement (a) has an accuracy of 89.7% (95% CI, 85.7-92.8%) with 98.3% sensitivity and 87.6% specificity. Measurement (b) has an accuracy of 98.0% (95% CI, 95.7-99.3%) with 89.8% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity. The pylorus stratification is preserved in all normal cases and 31/59 (52.5%) cases of HPS. There was complete/partial loss of stratification in 28/59 (47.5%) cases of HPS. In all HPS cases, the muscularis propria was echogenic. Measuring the muscularis propria solely has a better diagnostic accuracy, decreasing the overlap of negative and positive cases. The loss of pyloric wall stratification and echogenic muscularis propria is only seen in HPS.

Integrating a Fundus Camera with High-Frequency Ultrasound for Precise Ocular Lesion Assessment.

Ultrasound A-scan is an important tool for quantitative assessment of ocular lesions. However, its usability is limited by the difficulty of accurately localizing the ultrasound probe to a lesion of interest. In this study, a transparent LiNbO3 single crystal ultrasound transducer was fabricated, and integrated with a widefield fundus camera to guide the ultrasound local position. The electrical impedance, phase spectrum, pulse-echo performance, and optical transmission spectrum of the ultrasound transducer were validated. The novel fundus camera-guided ultrasound probe was tested for in vivo measurement of rat eyes. Anterior and posterior segments of the rat eye could be unambiguously differentiated with the fundus photography-guided ultrasound measurement. A model eye was also used to verify the imaging performance of the prototype device in the human eye. The prototype shows the potential of being used in the clinic to accurately measure the thickness and echogenicity of ocular lesions in vivo.

Quantum Liquid States of Spin Solitons in a Ferroelectric Spin-Peierls State.

In this study, we performed high-magnetic-field magnetization, dielectric, and ultrasound measurements on an organic salt showing a ferroelectric spin-Peierls (FSP) state, which is in close proximity to a quantum critical point. In contrast to the sparsely distributed gaslike spin solitons typically observed in conventional spin-Peierls (SP) states, the FSP state exhibits dense liquidlike spin solitons resulting from strong quantum fluctuations, even at low fields. Nevertheless, akin to conventional SP systems, a magnetic-field-induced transition is observed in the FSP state. In conventional high-field SP states, an emergent wave vector results in the formation of a spin-soliton lattice. However, in the present high-field FSP state, the strong quantum fluctuations preclude the formation of such a soliton lattice, causing the dense solitons to remain in a quantum-mechanically melted state. This observation implies the realization of a quantum liquid-liquid transition of topological particles carrying spin and charge in a ferroelectric insulator.