Neural network-based method for measuring the impacts of epileptic brain activities on cardiac cycles.

Although electroencephalogram (EEG) is widely used to monitor brain activity in epilepsy, limitations related to the accessibility and reproducibility of measurements may restrict its everyday use. Conversely, wearable methods, easily accessible, such as electrocardiogram (ECG), represent an alternative for indirectly monitoring brain activity through cardiac cycles. A computational model was developed based on statistical cycles and neural networks to measure changes in the morphology of ECG waves.

Comprehensive assessment of quality of life in PLHIV using WHOQOL-HIV-Bref: a study in northeastern Brazil.

Quality of life is evaluated through various factors and the individual's self-perception. In this context, considering the multifactorial nature of well-being in people living with HIV, the World Health Organization developed the WHOQOL-HIV-Bref questionnaire. This study aims to assess the quality of life of PLHIV using the WHOQOL-HIV-Bref questionnaire.

Near-Infrared Photoactive Theragnostic Gold Nanoflowers for Photoacoustic Imaging and Hyperthermia.

Branched anisotropic gold nanostructures present distinguished performance acting both as contrast agents for photoacoustic imaging and as active agents for photothermal therapies. Despite advances in their fabrication methods, the synthesis of such gold nanomaterials in a simple and reproducible way is still a challenge. In this paper, we report the development of branched anisotropic gold nanoparticles, the so-called gold nanoflowers (AuNFs), as near-infrared active theragnostic materials for cancer therapy and diagnosis.

Clinically translatable quantitative molecular photoacoustic imaging with liposome-encapsulated ICG J-aggregates.

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a functional and molecular imaging technique capable of high sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution at depth. Widespread use of PA imaging, however, is limited by currently available contrast agents, which either lack PA-signal-generation ability for deep imaging or their absorbance spectra overlap with hemoglobin, reducing sensitivity. Here we report on a PA contrast agent based on targeted liposomes loaded with J-aggregated indocyanine green (ICG) dye (i.

Multiangle Long-Axis Lateral Illumination Photoacoustic Imaging Using Linear Array Transducer.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) combines optical contrast with ultrasound spatial resolution and can be obtained up to a depth of a few centimeters. Hand-held PAI systems using linear array usually operate in reflection mode using a dark-field illumination scheme, where the optical fiber output is attached to both sides of the elevation plane (short-axis) of the transducer. More recently, bright-field strategies where the optical illumination is coaxial with acoustic detection have been proposed to overcome some limitations of the standard dark-field approach.

The effect of magnetization of natural rubber latex-coated magnetite nanoparticles on shear wave dispersion magneto-motive ultrasound.

The shear wave dispersion magneto-motive ultrasound (SDMMUS) method was recently developed to analyze the mechanical properties of a viscoelastic medium. This technique is based on the interaction of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with an external magnetic field to generate a shear wave within the medium labeled with MNPs. The propagation of this wave provides information about the viscoelastic properties of the medium.

Photoacoustic-based oxygen saturation assessment of murine femoral bone marrow in a preclinical model of leukemia.

A variety of hematological diseases manifest in the bone marrow (BM), broadly characterized as BM failure (BMF). BMF can be caused by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which results in an expansion of hypoxic regions in the BM. Because of this hypoxic presentation, there is potential for improved characterization of BMF through assessment of oxygenation in the BM cavity.

Improved Photoacoustic-Based Oxygen Saturation Estimation With SNR-Regularized Local Fluence Correction.

As photoacoustic (PA) imaging makes its way into the clinic, the accuracy of PA-based metrics becomes increasingly important. To address this need, a method combining finite-element-based local fluence correction (LFC) with signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) regularization was developed and validated to accurately estimate oxygen saturation (SO) in tissue. With data from a Vevo LAZR system, performance of our LFC approach was assessed in ex vivo blood targets (37.

Acoustic and Elastic Properties of Glycerol in Oil-Based Gel Phantoms.

Phantoms are important tools for image quality control and medical training. Many phantom materials have been proposed for ultrasound; most of them use water as the solvent, but these materials have disadvantages such as dehydration and low temporal stability if not properly stored. To overcome these difficulties, copolymer-in-oil gel was proposed as an inert and stable material; however, speed of sound for these materials is still lower than what is described for most biological tissues.

Comparison between shear wave dispersion magneto motive ultrasound and transient elastography for measuring tissue-mimicking phantom viscoelasticity.

Several methods have been developed over the last several years to analyze the mechanical properties of soft tissue. Elastography, for example, was proposed to evaluate soft tissue stiffness in an attempt to reduce the need for invasive procedures, such as breast biopsies; however, its qualitative nature and the fact that it is operator-dependent have proven to be limitations of the technique. Quantitative shearwave- based techniques have been proposed to obtain information about tissue stiffness independent of the operator.

A hybrid transducer to evaluate stomach emptying by ultrasound and susceptometric measurements: an in vivo feasibility study.

Gastric emptying reflects a diversity of important physiological functions. Alternating current biosusceptometry (ACB) is an inexpensive, radiation-free, and minimally invasive method to evaluate gastric emptying, but its response depends on the spatial distribution of the magnetized material and does not provide precise anatomical information. The hybrid transducer, which combines ACB and an ultrasound probe, is an alternative to improve susceptometry measurements, namely the spatial localization of the magnetized source.

[Internal cardiac massage in dogs: a new technique proposition for emergency pericardiotomy--ligament traction].

Purpose: Describe a technique of emergency pericardiotomy, named as Ligament Traction (LT), to reduce the necessary time to begin the Internal Cardiac Massage. To perform the ICM an emergency toracotomy and pericardiotomy are necessary, both in remote time. The technique usually employed is the "T" pericardiotomy, whose execution depends on the apprehension of the pericardium with an Allis forceps.