scholarly journals Two-phase survey on the frequency of use and safety of MRI for hearing implant recipients

Author(s):  
Paul van de Heyning ◽  
Griet Mertens ◽  
Vedat Topsakal ◽  
Ruben de Brito ◽  
Wilhelm Wimmer ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often used to visualize and diagnose soft tissues. Hearing implant (HI) recipients are likely to require at least one MRI scan during their lifetime. However, the MRI scanner can interact with the implant magnet, resulting in complications for the HI recipient. This survey, which was conducted in two phases, aimed to evaluate the safety and performance of MRI scans for individuals with a HI manufactured by MED-EL (MED-EL GmbH, Innsbruck, Austria). Methods A survey was developed and distributed in two phases to HEARRING clinics to obtain information about the use of MRI for recipients of MED-EL devices. Phase 1 focused on how often MRI is used in diagnostic imaging of the head region of the cochlear implant (CI) recipients. Phase 2 collected safety information about MRI scans performed on HI recipients. Results 106 of the 126 MRI scans reported in this survey were performed at a field strength of 1.5 T, on HI recipients who wore the SYNCHRONY CI or SYNCHRONY ABI. The head and spine were the most frequently imaged regions. 123 of the 126 scans were performed without any complications; two HI recipients experienced discomfort/pain. One recipient required reimplantation after an MRI was performed using a scanner that had not been approved for that implant. There was only one case that required surgical removal of the implant to reduce the imaging artefact. Conclusion Individuals with either a SYNCHRONY CI or SYNCHRONY ABI from MED-EL can safely undergo a 1.5 T MRI when it is performed according to the manufacturer’s safety policies and procedures.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Mutschler ◽  
Jen Rouse ◽  
Kelly McShane ◽  
Criss Habal-Brosek

Background Psychosocial rehabilitation is a service that supports recovery from mental illness by providing opportunities for skill development, self-determination, and social interaction. One type of psychosocial rehabilitation is the Clubhouse model. The purpose of the current project was to create, test, and refine a realist theory of psychosocial rehabilitation at Progress Place, an accredited Clubhouse. Method Realist evaluation is a theory driven evaluation that uncovers contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes, in order to develop a theory as to how a program works. The current study involved two phases, encompassing four steps: Phase 1 included (1) initial theory development and (2) initial theory refinement; and Phase 2 included (3) theory testing and (4) refinement. Results The data from this two-phase approach identified three demi-regularities of recovery comprised of specific mechanisms and outcomes: the Restorative demi-regularity, the Reaffirming demi-regularity, and the Re-engaging demi-regularity. The theory derived from these demi-regularities suggests that there are various mechanisms that produce outcomes of recovery from the psychosocial rehabilitation perspective, and as such, it is necessary that programs promote a multifaceted, holistic perspective on recovery. Conclusions The realist evaluation identified that Progress Place promotes recovery for members. Additional research on the Clubhouse model should be conducted to further validate that the model initiates change and promotes recovery outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 661
Author(s):  
Pelin Kus ◽  
Metin N. Gurcan ◽  
Gillian Beamer

Granuloma necrosis occurs in hosts susceptible to pathogenic mycobacteria and is a diagnostic visual feature of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in humans and in super-susceptible Diversity Outbred (DO) mice infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Currently, no published automated algorithms can detect granuloma necrosis in pulmonary TB. However, such a method could reduce variability, and transform visual patterns into quantitative data for statistical and machine learning analyses. Here, we used histopathological images from super-susceptible DO mice to train, validate, and performance test an algorithm to detect regions of cell-poor necrosis. The algorithm, named 2D-TB, works on 2-dimensional histopathological images in 2 phases. In phase 1, granulomas are detected following background elimination. In phase 2, 2D-TB searches within granulomas for regions of cell-poor necrosis. We used 8 lung sections from 8 different super-susceptible DO mice for training and 10-fold cross validation. We used 13 new lung sections from 10 different super-susceptible DO mice for performance testing. 2D-TB reached 100.0% sensitivity and 91.8% positive prediction value. Compared to an expert pathologist, agreement was 95.5% and there was a statistically significant positive correlation for area detected by 2D-TB and the pathologist. These results show the development, validation, and accurate performance of 2D-TB to detect granuloma necrosis.


Author(s):  
Kristina Ludwig ◽  
Bastian Surmann ◽  
Eva Räcker ◽  
Wolfgang Greiner

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to develop and test a cognitive dimension as a bolt-on for the German version of the EQ-5D-Y (Youth). Methods A literature review and six focus groups with children and adolescents were used to develop the cognitive dimension for the EQ-5D-Y. In a two-phase pretest, the acceptability, feasibility and performance of this dimension were assessed (phase 1: qualitative face-to-face interviews, phase 2: standard pretest in a clinical setting). In total, 280 children and adolescents participated in this study. Results School performance, concentration, memory and learning ability represent the most important components of cognitive functioning in children and adolescents. Hence, those components were incorporated into the cognitive dimension of the EQ-5D-Y by adding four items. For children and adolescents living with a rheumatic disorder or type 1 diabetes mellitus, the EQ-5D-Y plus a cognitive bolt-on demonstrated good acceptability, feasibility and performance. The cognitive items improved the explanatory power for the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). Factor analysis has shown that a reduction of the cognitive bolt-on into one or two item(s) is justifiable. Conclusion By enhancing the EQ-5D-Y with a cognitive bolt-on, we developed an instrument that incorporates current findings on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and is suitable for the target population. Empirical results of this study show that cognitive functioning is an important part of HRQoL assessment in children and adolescents. The inclusion of a cognitive dimension in the EQ-5D-Y improves the HRQoL measurement.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 325-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sytle M. Antao

The crystal structure of a morimotoite garnet, ideally Ca3(Ti4+Fe2+)Si3O12, from the Ice River alkaline complex, British Columbia, Canada was refined by the Rietveld method, space group $Ia\overline 3 d$, and monochromatic synchrotron high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction (HRPXRD) data. Electron-microprobe analysis indicates a homogeneous sample with a formula {Ca2.91Mg0.05Mn2+0.03}Σ3[Ti1.09Fe3+0.46Fe2+0.37Mg0.08]Σ2(Si2.36Fe3+0.51Al0.14)Σ3O12. The HRPXRD data show a two-phase intergrowth. The reduced χ2 and overall R(F2) Rietveld refinement values are 1.572 and 0.0544, respectively. The weight percentage, unit-cell parameter (Å), distances (Å), and site occupancy factors (sofs) for phase-1 are as follows: 76.5(1)%, a = 12.156 98(1) Å, average <Ca–O> = 2.4383, Ti–O = 2.011(1), Si–O = 1.693(1) Å, Ca(sof) = 0.943(2), Ti(sof) = 0.966(2), and Si(sof) = 1.095(3). The corresponding values for phase-2 are 23.5(1)%, a = 12.160 67(2) Å, average <Ca–O> = 2.452, Ti–O = 1.988(3), Si–O = 1.704(3) Å, Ca(sof) = 1.063(7), Ti(sof) = 1.187(7), and Si(sof) = 1.220(8). The two phases cause strain that arises from structural mismatch and gives rise to low optical anisotropy. Because the two phases are structurally quite similar, a refinement using a single-phase model with anisotropic displacement parameters shows no unusual displacement ellipsoid for the O atom that requires a “split O-atom position”, as was done in previous studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-44
Author(s):  
Manoj V. Khatokar ◽  
M. Hemanth Kumar ◽  
K. Chandrahas ◽  
M. D. Swetha ◽  
Preeti Satish

Multiple Sclerosis is an inoperable disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) that irritates the myelin sheath by forming lesions. This affects all organs of the CNS; the vital of them is the brain. This disease can be detected by diagnosis like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). It is a non-invasive diagnostic test that provides detailed images of the soft tissues of the body. Out of the different variations of MRI, MS lesions are predominantly visible in the DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) variant of MRI. DTI gives enhanced visualization of normal-appearing white matter tracts of the organs, hence providing a better image of the MS lesion. In this paper, the latest methodologies regarding the identification of the MS lesions in MRI scans like T2 FLAIR or DTI, using automated techniques like deep learning, computer vision, neural network and many more are surveyed. Furthermore, this paper consists of a proposed model which would focus on correlating the lesions found in DTI scan with the basic MRI scan like T2. It would identify the MS lesion in DTI scan and eventually highlight that lesion position in the T2 image scan. This would help radiologist in a way to effectively handle multiple MRI scans.


2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 48-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joy L. Rodgers ◽  
Mari L. Zapata Ramos

Purpose: This two-phase project employed qualitative framing analyses to explore how fibromyalgia has been framed in some of the top sources of U.S. health information and how these sources address treatments related to fibromyalgia. Methods: Phase 1 of the project examined 95 stories and articles published between January 1, 2007, and October 15, 2010, in eight elite U.S. newspapers and five mosttrafficked health websites to determine the dominant framing of fibromyalgia in each source. Phase 2 analyzed 146 stories and articles published between January 1, 2007, and May 15, 2013, in 15 topcirculation U.S. daily print and online newspapers and five popular health websites. Phase 2 was conducted to examine changes in the dominant framing of fibromyalgia since Phase 1, and identify new frames in the ongoing debate about whether fibromyalgia is a medical or mental condition. Results: Project findings suggest a lessening in the debate insofar as the overall media representation shifted from a depiction of fibromyalgia as a mental to a medical condition. Moreover, changes found between the two phases in the identification of the frames demonstrate the evolving public discussion surrounding fibromyalgia amid FDA approval of drugs specifically for the treatment of the condition. Conclusion: Thus, the marketing of fibromyalgia-specific drugs may be a factor contributing to the legitimization of the controversial condition.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Weichao Chen ◽  
Anindita Paul ◽  
Francis Kibaru ◽  
Yanfei Ma ◽  
Dinara Saparova

This paper discusses the various challenges encountered during iterative testing of an insurance company's home page prototypes. The study focuses on the methodology details, including the selection of prototypes and usability evaluation methods and the considerations for practical trade-offs. During Phase 1, six individual think-aloud interviews were conducted to compare three prototypes. Participants were asked to complete tasks on the prototypes. Based on the findings from Phase 1, three prototypes were developed. In Phase 2, an online survey was administered with existing customers to compare these three prototypes. Survey responses indicated that content, layout, and visual appearance were most influential on users' preferences of the designs. At the end of our paper, we compare the implementation and the results of usability evaluation and the prototypes in the two phases and discuss the limitations of the study.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Mutschler ◽  
Jen Rouse ◽  
Kelly McShane ◽  
Criss Habal-Brosek

Background Psychosocial rehabilitation is a service that supports recovery from mental illness by providing opportunities for skill development, self-determination, and social interaction. One type of psychosocial rehabilitation is the Clubhouse model. The purpose of the current project was to create, test, and refine a realist theory of psychosocial rehabilitation at Progress Place, an accredited Clubhouse. Method Realist evaluation is a theory driven evaluation that uncovers contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes, in order to develop a theory as to how a program works. The current study involved two phases, encompassing four steps: Phase 1 included (1) initial theory development and (2) initial theory refinement; and Phase 2 included (3) theory testing and (4) refinement. Results The data from this two-phase approach identified three demi-regularities of recovery comprised of specific mechanisms and outcomes: the Restorative demi-regularity, the Reaffirming demi-regularity, and the Re-engaging demi-regularity. The theory derived from these demi-regularities suggests that there are various mechanisms that produce outcomes of recovery from the psychosocial rehabilitation perspective, and as such, it is necessary that programs promote a multifaceted, holistic perspective on recovery. Conclusions The realist evaluation identified that Progress Place promotes recovery for members. Additional research on the Clubhouse model should be conducted to further validate that the model initiates change and promotes recovery outcomes.


1984 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 1724-1731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas C. Davidson

Dunlins, Calidris alpina, and knots, Calidris canutus, captured while roosting at Teesmouth in northeastern England, were held in captivity during ringing operations. During this time they lost up to 19% (dunlins) and 23% (knots) of their total mass. In dunlins, loss of mass occurred in two phases. During phase 1 (0–8 h after capture) mass was lost at a similar, declining, rate regardless of conditions or frequency of handling. During phase 2 (>8 h after capture), frequently handled birds continued to lose mass rapidly, but the mass of less disturbed birds decreased at a lower, constant, rate. Knots had a similar two-phase mass loss. Changes in body condition were analysed in less disturbed birds. During phase 1 much of the loss was due to dehydration. Fat catabolism began within 4 h of capture at a rate of 2.2 to 2.4 times basal metabolic rate (BMR) in dunlins and 2.4 times BMR in knots. Dunlins also lost lean dry muscle tissue concurrently and at a constant rate. After 24 h, dunlins had lost 27.4% of the protein reserve available in their pectoral muscles. The consequences of the stress of capture and handling on rates of loss of mass, particularly muscle protein, are discussed, as are the implications of short-term loss of mass for the accurate measurement of body condition in live and killed samples of birds.


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