Publications by authors named "DIRKS K"

Disulfidptosis is a recently identified form of cell death characterized by the aberrant accumulation of cellular disulfides. This process primarily occurs in glucose-starved cells expressing higher levels of SLC7A11 and has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for cancers with hyperactive SCL7A11. However, the potential for inducing disulfidptosis through other mechanisms in cancers remains unclear.

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  Sonography training has become an important part of university medicine courses. This study explores the impact of digital and analog teaching resources on learning outcomes, knowledge retention, and student preferences and motivation in a flipped classroom setting.   This prospective controlled study involving two groups of third-year medical students included a voluntary three-day compact ultrasound course given in a flipped classroom, comprising 26 teaching units of 45 minutes each.

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  • Naturally occurring fibrous minerals like erionite can be harmful to health when disturbed and inhaled, making it important to identify their presence in the air to reduce risks.
  • Traditional methods for detecting these fibers, similar to those used for asbestos, are expensive and less effective in environments where fiber concentrations are low or varied.
  • This study introduces a new, cost-effective approach using leaf surface sampling and advanced analysis techniques to successfully detect and identify fibrous zeolite particles in areas near quarries, revealing that a significant portion are small and resemble zeolite mordenite.
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Diagnosing rare hematological malignancies in the liver is often challenging owing to their infrequency, and confirmation generally necessitates histological examination. Due to the rarity of these lesions, there are limited data concerning their appearance on ultrasound and, specifically, contrast-enhanced ultrasound. In this review, we describe the pathological and ultrasound features of several hematological malignant liver lesions, including lymphoma of the liver and chloroma.

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Article Synopsis
  • The article discusses guidelines from the World Federation for Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) regarding contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) specifically related to very rare focal liver lesions (FLL).
  • It focuses on the ultrasound appearance of peliosis hepatis and porphyria cutanea tarda, highlighting how these conditions can often be diagnosed visually without needing a biopsy.
  • The goal is to enhance clinicians' understanding of the clinical presentation and imaging characteristics of these focal liver lesions to improve diagnostic accuracy.
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In this series of articles with comments and illustrations on the World Federation for Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) guidelines on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) the topics of very rare focal liver lesions (FLL) are discussed. Improving the detection and characterization of the most common FLL are the main topics of these guidelines. The focus of this review is on the many manifestations of cystic fibrosis-related liver disease (CFLD).

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Improved detection and characterization of common focal liver lesions (FLL) are the main topics of the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) guidelines on the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). On stateof-the-art CEUS imaging, to create a library of rare FLL, especially concerning their atypical imaging characteristics, might be helpful for improving clinical diagnostic efficiency. In this review, we aim to summarize the ultrasound and CEUS features of rare benign FLL.

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It is important to be familiar with the typical imaging features of the uncommon or even extremely rare focal liver lesions (FLL). Current guidelines of the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) is aimed at assessing the usefulness of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the management of various FLL. In this review, we aim to summarize the ultrasound and CEUS characteristics with literature review of some extremely rare benign FLL, which might be helpful for improving diagnostic efficiency clinically.

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Introduction: Ultrasound diagnostics is an important examination method in everyday clinical practice, but student education is often inadequate for acquiring sufficient basic skills. Individual universities have therefore started integrating (extra)curricular training concepts into medical education. This study aimed to evaluate sustainable skills development through participation in peer-assisted ultrasound courses.

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Background: A thorough knowledge of sonography is essential in clinical practice. Therefore, sonography training is increasingly incorporated into the medical school curriculum, entailing different course models. The question arises which model is most effective to convey sustained sonographic skills.

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In this series of papers on comments and illustrations of the World Federation for Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) guidelines on contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) the topics of non-infectious and non-neoplastic focal liver lesions (FLL) are discussed. Improved detection and characterization of common FLL are the main topics of these guidelines but detailed and illustrating information is missing. The focus in this paper is on non-infectious and non-neoplastic FLL and their appearance on B-mode, Doppler ultrasound and CEUS features.

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In this series of papers on comments and illustrations of the World Federation for Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) guidelines on contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) the topics of parasitic and fungus infections are discussed. Improved detection and characterization of common focal liver lesions (FLL) are the main topics of these guidelines but detailed and illustrating information is missing. The focus in this paper on infectious (parasitic and fungus) focal liver lesions is on their appearance on B-mode and Doppler ultrasound and CEUS features.

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Auckland is a city with limited industrial activity, road traffic being the dominant source of air pollution. Thus, the time periods when social contact and movement in Auckland were severely curtailed due to COVID-19 restrictions presented a unique opportunity to observe impacts on pedestrian exposure to air pollution under a range of different traffic flow scenarios, providing insights into the impacts of potential future traffic calming measures. Pedestrian exposure to ultrafine particles (UFPs), was measured using personal monitoring along a customised route through Central Auckland during different COVID-19-affected traffic flow conditions.

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In Germany, progress assessments in head and neck ultrasonography training have been carried out mainly theoretically and lack standardisation. Thus, quality assurance and comparisons between certified courses from various course providers are difficult. This study aimed to develop and integrate a direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) in head and neck ultrasound education and explore the perceptions of both participants and examiners.

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  • This study explored the collection and analysis of microplastics in the air in Auckland, New Zealand, over nine weeks, utilizing advanced microscopy and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Pyr-GC/MS) to identify various types of airborne microplastics.
  • The findings showed that smaller microplastics were found in higher numbers and emphasized the need for standardized methods when comparing microplastic research.
  • The research identified eight different polymers, with polyethylene, polycarbonate, and PET being the most prevalent, and noted that wind patterns from coastal areas contributed to increased microplastic deposition on urban rooftops.
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A case is presented for the value of archiving air quality filters to allow for retrospective analysis of emerging contaminants, that is filter constituents not considered to be harmful (and thus not identified or quantified specifically) at the time of collection but subsequently considered to be of interest. As an example, filters from a 20-year historical archive consisting of 16,000 filters from three sites across Auckland are re-examined for the presence of elongated mineral fibres known to be present in rock across the city. Originally collected for the purpose of the source apportionment of particulate matter, 10 filters from each of the three sites were chosen for reanalysis based on their high silica and aluminium content, and thus considered more likely to contain fibre-like particles (FLP).

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  • - Noise sensitivity influences how individuals react to environmental noise, affecting their levels of annoyance and potential health issues.
  • - In a study with normally hearing adults, three different methods were used to assess noise sensitivity, but only one method (loudness discomfort level) showed a connection to participants’ annoyance and loudness ratings in response to airplane noise.
  • - The findings suggest that existing measures of noise sensitivity might not fully capture its impact, prompting the development of a new theoretical model to better understand the factors influencing noise perception, shifting focus from the annoyance itself to the underlying sensitization processes.
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Background: For many young people, exposure to music from personal audio system use may represent a significant component of daily noise dose. Moreover, there is increasing concern for the hearing of those who listen at high volumes. The purpose of this study was to determine the noise levels experienced on commuter buses, and to investigate how these impact on the volume-setting behavior of young adult personal audio system users.

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This paper presents the results of a study evaluating the human perception of the noise produced by four different small quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This study utilised measurements and recordings of the noise produced by the quadcopter UAVs in hover and in constant-speed flight at a fixed altitude. Measurements made using a ½″ microphone were used to calculate a range of different noise metrics for each noise event.

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The hallmark for the non-invasive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in cirrhosis is arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE), followed by late-onset (>60 s), mild washout. Large retrospective studies report this pattern of washout to occur in the vast majority of HCCs. However, a prospective multicenter validation of these findings is still missing.

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Children walking to school are at a high risk of exposure to air pollution compared with other modes because of the time they spend in close proximity to traffic during their commute. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a walker's route choice on their exposure to ultrafine particles (UFP) on the walk to school. During morning commutes over a period of three weeks, exposure to UFP was measured along three routes: two routes were alongside both sides of a busy arterial road with significantly higher levels of traffic on one side compared to the other, and the third route passed through quiet streets (the background route).

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Purpose: Acute appendicitis (AA) is amongst the most common causes of acute abdominal pain. In spite of progress based on risk stratifications, "negative" appendectomies are performed in up to 30% of patients whilst the appendix perforates in others. Preoperative classification of AA based on imaging is therefore recommended.

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Abdominal ultrasonography and intestinal ultrasonography are widely used as first diagnostic tools for investigating patients with abdominal symptoms, mainly for excluding organic diseases. However, gastrointestinal ultrasound (GIUS), as a real-time diagnostic imaging method, can also provide information on motility, flow, perfusion, peristalsis, and organ filling and emptying, with high temporal and spatial resolution. Thanks to its noninvasiveness and high repeatability, GIUS can investigate functional gastrointestinal processes and functional gastrointestinal diseases (FGID) by studying their behavior over time and their response to therapy and providing insight into their pathophysiologic mechanisms.

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Pedestrian exposure to traffic-related air pollution depends on many factors; including the nature of the traffic on nearby roads and the route characteristics. In this study, we investigated the effects of differences in vehicle fleet and transport infrastructure on children's exposure to traffic-related air pollution during their morning walk to school in Auckland, New Zealand. Five pairs of routes to schools-each including a low and a high socioeconomic status (SES) school-were selected and traversed over 7-8 days for each pair while measuring particle number concentration (PNC) and GPS coordinates.

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Cold, damp and mouldy housing arises from the degradation of the housing stock over time due to weathering and a lack of maintenance. Living in such houses is associated with many adverse impacts on human health, especially for those with existing health issues. This paper presents a systematic review, using the PRISMA protocol, consisting of an exploratory analysis of housing-related risk factors associated with respiratory disease.

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