The purpose of this study was to quantify the stiffness of hypertrophic scars using acoustic radiation force impulse ultrasound elastography. Sixteen pediatric patients with hypertrophic scars resulting from burn injuries participated in this study (mean age: 5.13, standard deviation: 3.20). Values for the elastic modulus (E) of scar and control sites were obtained. Scarred areas were found to be almost four times stiffer than control sites (scar E = 39.29 kPa compared with control E = 10.19 kPa) (p = 0.0004). Correlations between scar stiffness and clinician-reported subjective scar scale scores were not observed (r = 0.30, p = 0.27 and r = 0.25, p = 0.35 respectively). We found that acoustic radiation force impulse imaging can discriminate between hypertrophic scars and normal skin and should be considered a potentially valuable tool in the armamentarium of objective scar measures. Future research should focus on evaluating the technology's ability to detect scar change over time in order to determine responsiveness to treatment.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.03.013 | DOI Listing |
Trends Hear
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Noise and Vibration Research, Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) and noise reduction both play important roles in hearing aids. WDRC provides level-dependent amplification so that the level of sound produced by the hearing aid falls between the hearing threshold and the highest comfortable level of the listener, while noise reduction reduces ambient noise with the goal of improving intelligibility and listening comfort and reducing effort. In most current hearing aids, noise reduction and WDRC are implemented sequentially, but this may lead to distortion of the amplitude modulation patterns of both the speech and the noise.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
December 2024
School of Physics and Electronic Information, Yunnan Normal University, No. 1 Yuhua Area, Chenggong District, Kunming 650500, China.
In cell or droplet separation, high acoustic wave energy of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) device is required to generate sufficient acoustic radiation force. In this paper, the electrode width-control floating electrode focused unidirectional interdigital transducer (EWC-FEFUDT) is proposed due to its enhanced focusing properties. The performance of the EWC-FEFUDT is investigated using the Coupling-of-Mode (COM) theory, and the COM parameter is extracted using the Finite Element Method (FEM).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiagnostics (Basel)
January 2025
Arrow Program for Medical Research Education, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan 52621, Israel.
As medical imaging continues to expand, concerns about the potential risks of ionizing radiation to the developing fetus have led to a preference for non-radiation-based alternatives such as ultrasonography and fetal MRI. This review examines the current evidence on the safety of MRI during pregnancy, with a focus on 3 T MRI and contrast agents, aiming to provide a comprehensive synthesis that informs clinical decision-making, ensures fetal safety and supports the safe use of all available modalities that could impact management. We conducted a comprehensive review of studies from 2000 to 2024 on MRI safety during pregnancy, focusing on 3 T MRI and gadolinium use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America.
Objective: What we hear may influence postural control, particularly in people with vestibular hypofunction. Would hearing a moving subway destabilize people similarly to seeing the train move? We investigated how people with unilateral vestibular hypofunction and healthy controls incorporated broadband and real-recorded sounds with visual load for balance in an immersive contextual scene.
Design: Participants stood on foam placed on a force-platform, wore the HTC Vive headset, and observed an immersive subway environment.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
January 2025
Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
The sense of hearing originates in the cochlea, which detects sounds across dynamic sensory environments. Like other peripheral organs, the cochlea is subjected to environmental insults, including loud, damage-inducing sounds. In response to internal and external stimuli, the central nervous system directly modulates cochlear function through olivocochlear neurons (OCNs), which are located in the brainstem and innervate the cochlear sensory epithelium.
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