Exploring the lived experiences of diagnostic radiographers after transitioning to non-emergency imaging settings.

Introduction: The demand for diagnostic imaging in emergency clinical settings has increased in recent years, placing pressure on the available workforce. However, challenges including staff shortages and inflexible shift patterns may prompt radiographers to leave emergency settings. This study explores the lived experiences of radiographers who have transitioned to non-emergency settings and factors that might influence their decision to return.

The effect of an enhanced fetal growth ultrasound protocol on pregnancy outcomes: A retrospective service evaluation within a single UK National Health Service centre between 2014 and 2022.

Aim: Growth Assessment Protocol is a fetal growth initiative designed to improve antenatal detection of babies who are small-for-gestational-age and reduce stillbirths. However, its direct impact on pregnancy outcome and stillbirth rates is questioned. This service evaluation aimed to assess Growth Assessment Protocol's influence on pregnancy outcomes at a National Health Service hospital.

Using the pH sensitivity of switchable surfactants to understand the role of the alkyl tail conformation and hydrogen bonding at a molecular level in elucidating emulsion stability.

Hypothesis: The monoalkyl diamine surfactant, N-dodecylpropane-1,3-diamine (DPDA), is expected to exhibit a pH-dependent charge switchability. In response to pH changes, the interfacial self-assembly of DPDA becomes an intermediary constituent that can potentially modify the interfacial interactions and structural assembly of both the oil and water phases. Hence, we hypothesize that as we change the pH, DPDA will respond to it by changing its charge and alkyl tail conformation as well as the conformation of adjacent phases at the molecular level, consequently affecting emulsion formation and stability.

Lateral Flow Assay Biotesting by Utilizing Plasmonic Nanoparticles Made of Inexpensive Metals─Replacing Colloidal Gold.

Nanoparticles (NPs) can be conjugated with diverse biomolecules and employed in biosensing to detect target analytes in biological samples. This proven concept was primarily used during the COVID-19 pandemic with gold-NP-based lateral flow assays (LFAs). Considering the gold price and its worldwide depletion, here we show that novel plasmonic NPs based on inexpensive metals, titanium nitride (TiN) and copper covered with a gold shell (Cu@Au), perform comparable to or even better than gold nanoparticles.

The influence of antenatal imaging on prenatal bonding in uncomplicated pregnancies: a mixed methods analysis.

Background: Prenatal bonding describes the emotional connection expectant parents form to their unborn child. Research acknowledges the association between antenatal imaging and enhanced bonding, but the influencing factors are not well understood, particularly for fathers or when using advanced techniques like fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study aimed to identify variables which may predict increased bonding after imaging.

Lateral Flow Assays Biotesting by Utilizing Plasmonic Nanoparticles Made of Inexpensive Metals - Replacing Colloidal Gold.

Nanoparticles (NPs) can be conjugated with diverse biomolecules and employed in biosensing to detect target analytes in biological samples. This proven concept was primarily used during the COVID-19 pandemic with gold NPs-based lateral flow assays (LFAs). Considering the gold price and its worldwide depletion, here we show that novel plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) based on inexpensive metals, titanium nitride (TiN) and copper covered with a gold shell (Cu@Au), perform comparable or even better than gold nanoparticles.

"It's not just the medical aspects that are important": A qualitative exploration of first-time parents' experiences of antenatal imaging and their influence on parent-fetal bonding.

Introduction: Antenatal imaging provides clinical information regarding fetal growth and development. The additional benefit afforded by imaging for expectant parents in developing an emotional connection (bond) to the unborn baby is also acknowledged. However, the relationship between imaging and bonding is not fully understood, particularly where there are differing parental and pregnancy circumstances, for example use of advanced imaging techniques or the prenatal diagnosis of a congenital fetal condition.

A systematic review of nonpharmacological interventions to reduce procedural anxiety among patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer.

Unlabelled: Procedural anxiety is a concern for a number of patients undergoing radiation therapy. While procedural anxiety is often treated pharmacologically, there is a clinical need for effective alternative strategies for patients who are contraindicated from medication use, and those who prefer not to take unnecessary medications.

Objectives: The primary objective was to assess the efficacy of nonpharmacological interventions delivered to adults with cancer, in the radiation oncology department, just prior to, or during radiation therapy, in reducing levels of self-reported procedural anxiety.

Prenatal diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome on ultrasound using artificial intelligence: How does performance compare to a current screening programme?

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve prenatal detection of congenital heart disease. We analysed the performance of the current national screening programme in detecting hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) to compare with our own AI model.

Methods: Current screening programme performance was calculated from local and national sources.

Fast fetal head compounding from multi-view 3D ultrasound.

The diagnostic value of ultrasound images may be limited by the presence of artefacts, notably acoustic shadows, lack of contrast and localised signal dropout. Some of these artefacts are dependent on probe orientation and scan technique, with each image giving a distinct, partial view of the imaged anatomy. In this work, we propose a novel method to fuse the partially imaged fetal head anatomy, acquired from numerous views, into a single coherent 3D volume of the full anatomy.

Smoking Cessation Interventions and Abstinence Outcomes for People Living in Rural, Regional, and Remote Areas of Three High-Income Countries: A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Tobacco smoking rates in high-income countries are greater in rural, regional, and remote (RRR) areas compared to cities. Yet, there is limited knowledge about interventions targeted to RRR smokers. This review describes the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions for RRR smokers in supporting smoking abstinence.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK parent experiences of pregnancy ultrasound scans and parent-fetal bonding: A mixed methods analysis.

Introduction: Companionship in antenatal care is important for facilitating positive parental experiences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on partner attendance at fetal ultrasound scans were introduced nationally to minimise transmission of the virus. This study aimed to explore the effect of these restrictions on maternal and paternal experiences of pregnancy scans and evaluate their potential effect on parent-fetal bonding.

"It has been the most difficult time in my career": A qualitative exploration of UK obstetric sonographers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: Substantial changes were made to the provision of pregnancy ultrasound services during the COVID-19 pandemic with the intention of minimising virus transmission and maintaining service continuity. Published literature describing the impact of the pandemic on obstetric sonographers is predominantly quantitative in nature, however statistics cannot fully convey sonographers' voices. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of UK obstetric sonographers performing pregnancy ultrasound scans during the pandemic.

Factors which influence ethnic minority women's participation in maternity research: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies.

Background: Women from Black, Asian and mixed ethnicity backgrounds in the UK experience higher rates of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, and report poorer experiences of maternity care. Research is required to understand how to reduce these disparities, however, it is acknowledged these groups of women are under-represented in clinical research.

Aim: To investigate factors which influence participation in maternity research for women from an ethnic minority background.

Visible Light-Assisted Coordination of a Rh(III)-BODIPY Complex to Guanine.

Most photodynamic therapeutics (PDTs) used in cancer treatment require oxygen to work efficiently to terminate cancer cells. These PDTs do not efficiently treat tumors in hypoxic conditions. Rh(III) polypyridyl complexes have been reported to have a photodynamic therapeutic effect in hypoxic conditions when exposed to UV light.

UK obstetric sonographers' experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic: Burnout, role satisfaction and impact on clinical practice.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic placed additional demands and stressors on UK obstetric sonographers, who were required to balance parent safety and service quality, alongside staff safety. Increased pressure can negatively impact a healthcare worker's well-being and the provision of person-centred care. The aim of this study was to explore obstetric sonographers' experiences of performing pregnancy ultrasound scans during the pandemic and to assess the impact on burnout, role satisfaction and clinical practice.

Artificial intelligence education for radiographers, an evaluation of a UK postgraduate educational intervention using participatory action research: a pilot study.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled applications are increasingly being used in providing healthcare services, such as medical imaging support. Sufficient and appropriate education for medical imaging professionals is required for successful AI adoption. Although, currently, there are AI training programmes for radiologists, formal AI education for radiographers is lacking.

PRETUS: A plug-in based platform for real-time ultrasound imaging research.

We present PRETUS - a Plugin-based Real Time UltraSound software platform for live ultrasound image analysis and operator support. The software is lightweight; functionality is brought in via independent plug-ins that can be arranged in sequence. The software allows to capture the real-time stream of ultrasound images from virtually any ultrasound machine, applies computational methods and visualizes the results on-the-fly.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical guidance and risk assessments, and the importance of effective leadership to support UK obstetric sonographers.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the provision of obstetric ultrasound services, leading to the publication of new guidance and requirement for individual departmental risk assessments in the UK. The impact of these changes on clinical practice for UK obstetric sonographers is not currently well reported in published literature.

Methods: Obstetric sonographers working in the UK (n = 138) used the Qualtrics XM platform to complete an anonymous, online questionnaire about their experiences during the pandemic.

Placenta segmentation in ultrasound imaging: Addressing sources of uncertainty and limited field-of-view.

Automatic segmentation of the placenta in fetal ultrasound (US) is challenging due to the (i) high diversity of placenta appearance, (ii) the restricted quality in US resulting in highly variable reference annotations, and (iii) the limited field-of-view of US prohibiting whole placenta assessment at late gestation. In this work, we address these three challenges with a multi-task learning approach that combines the classification of placental location (e.g.

Models for resonant acoustic metasurfaces with application to moth wing ultrasound absorption.

Taking as bioinspiration the remarkable acoustic absorption properties of moth wings, we develop a simple analytical model that describes the interaction between acoustic pressure fields, and thin elastic plates incorporating resonant sub-structures. The moth wing is an exemplar of a natural acoustic metamaterial; the wings are deeply subwavelength in thickness at the frequencies of interest, the absorption is broadband and the tiny scales resonate on the moth wing acting in concert. The simplified model incorporates only the essential physics and the scales are idealized to flat rigid rectangular plates coupled via a spring to an elastic plate that forms the wing; all the components are deep-subwavelength at desired frequencies.

Novel SHRP method showed alternative deicers outperform NaCl brine for certain winter roadway maintenance applications.

Transportation agencies are responsible for balancing public safety and environmental impacts in their winter roadway maintenance operations. In managing the environmental impact of deicing procedures, a minimum effective dose should be used and less harmful deicing substances should be considered based on rigorous standardized tests. The subject research presents a modified laboratory test procedure and test apparatus for implementation in the evaluation and selection of deicing agents and definition of an appropriate and efficient application rate.

UK reporting radiographers' perceptions of AI in radiographic image interpretation - Current perspectives and future developments.

Introduction: Radiographer reporting is accepted practice in the UK. With a national shortage of radiographers and radiologists, artificial intelligence (AI) support in reporting may help minimise the backlog of unreported images. Modern AI is not well understood by human end-users.

The impact of antenatal imaging on parent experience and prenatal attachment: a systematic review.

Introduction: Medical imaging in pregnancy (antenatal imaging) is routine. However, the effect of seeing fetal images on the parent-fetal relationship is not well understood, particularly for fathers or partners, or when using advanced imaging technologies. This review aimed to explore how parent experience and prenatal attachment is impacted by antenatal imaging.