Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Moira Barbieri, Giulia Zamagni, Ilaria Fantasia, Lorenzo Monasta, Leila Lo Bello, Mariachiara Quadrifoglio, Giuseppe Ricci, Gianpaolo Maso, Monica Piccoli, Daniela Denis Di Martino, Enrico Mario Ferrazzi, Tamara Stampalija
Summary: The objectives of this study were to review the available umbilical vein blood flow volume (UV-Q) reference ranges in uncomplicated pregnancies and compare them with UV-Q values obtained from a local cohort. Literature in English was reviewed according to PRISMA guidelines. Original articles were grouped based on UV sampling sites and formulae used to compute UV-Q. The UV-Q values were derived from formulae or tables presented by authors. A prospective observational study of uncomplicated singleton pregnancies was conducted to compare UV-Q with the systematic review results. Overall, there was a substantial heterogeneity in reported UV-Q central values, but values overlapped when using the same sampling methodology and formulae. The study suggests that UV-Q assessment is accurate and reproducible when adhering to the same methodology, encouraging further investigation on clinical applications.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Tamara Stampalija, Lorenzo Monasta, Moira Barbieri, Antonella Chiodo, Mariachiara Quadrifoglio, Ilaria Fantasia, Leila Lo Bello, Valentina Barresi, Chiara Ottaviani, Daniela Denis Di Martino, Eleonora Marangon, Laura Travan, Maria Bernardon, Enrico Maria Ferrazzi
Summary: This study investigated the blood flow volume of the umbilical vein and uterine arteries in late-term pregnancies, and compared them with AC drop, fetal cerebral blood flow redistribution, and adverse perinatal outcome.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY AND REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
Ling Wang, Qichang Zhou, Chunhui Zhou, Jiqing Wang, Chunlan Shi, Baiguo Long, Li Hu, Yang Peng, Yuchan Liu, Ganqiong Xu
Summary: Z-scores for the diameter and blood flow volume of the umbilical vein in normal fetuses were successfully established, providing a useful tool for evaluating placental circulation and monitoring the prognosis of fetuses.
JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Optics
Matt S. Hepeurn, Ken Y. Foo, Philip Wijesinghe, Peter R. T. Munro, Lixin Chin, Brendan F. Kennedy
Summary: The study demonstrates for the first time that speckle significantly reduces the accuracy of phase-sensitive OCT, introducing a new metric called speckle brightness to quantify the interference in OCT images. Experimental measurements revealed a nearly three-fold decrease in sensitivity between regions of high and low speckle brightness at a constant OCT SNR. The findings suggest that speckle imposes a limit on the accuracy of phase-sensitive OCT and should be considered to avoid misinterpretation of experimental data.
Article
Acoustics
Jonathan M. Rubin, Sibo Li, J. Brian Fowlkes, Shriram Sethuraman, Oliver D. Kripfgans, William Shi, Marjorie C. Treadwell, James R. Jago, Ronald D. Leichner, Stephen Z. Pinter
Summary: The study compared a new method for estimating blood volume flow with the standard 1-dimensional spectral Doppler method in the umbilical vein, finding significantly less variation in estimates with the new 3-dimensional ultrasound method.
JOURNAL OF ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Lawrence Labrecque, Joel S. Burma, Marc-Antoine Roy, Jonathan D. Smirl, Patrice Brassard
Summary: The study found that the time-adjusted metric used to evaluate the directional sensitivity of the cerebral pressure-flow relationship is reproducible throughout the day in both the anterior and posterior cerebral circulations. The diurnal variation in this metric was minimal and had little physiological impact.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Srividya Neriyanuri, Phillip Bedggood, R. C. Andrew Symons, Andrew Metha
Summary: This study reveals that the topology of the capillary network significantly contributes to the variability of capillary flow in the human eyes. Understanding the heterogeneity of capillary flow is crucial for comprehending pathological flow states.
Article
Optics
Changyoon Yi, Jaewoo Jung, Jeongmyo Im, Kyung Chul Lee, Euiheon Chung, Seung Ah Lee
Summary: We propose a single-shot wide-field imaging method called rolling shutter speckle imaging (RSSI), which utilizes the short time intervals between each row of a rolling shutter CMOS image sensor to map the local temporal intensity decorrelations of dynamic speckle fields. The method generates elongated speckle patterns on the image sensor and quantifies temporal decorrelations from row-by-row intensity correlations (RICs) within a single image. Experimental results show that RSSI can map flow rate distributions in cerebral blood vessels with the correction of static scattering, making it a powerful and cost-effective imaging tool for in vivo quantitative blood flow measurements.
Article
Mechanics
Ying Yang, Hui Huang, Yongchun Zeng
Summary: The study compares the turbulent characteristics of melt-blowing convergent jet and a typical free jet based on hot-wire measurements, investigating the effects of impingement on turbulence intensity. Results show that impingement leads to greater and faster spread of turbulent shear stress.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mayumi Haneda, Yuki Hashimoto, Airi Mishima, Daichi Saito, Takeshi Yoshitomi
Summary: This study investigated the changes in choroidal circulation hemodynamics and their relationship to systemic circulation dynamics during the normal menstrual cycle in young, healthy women. The results suggest that choroidal blood flow velocity decreases during the late follicular phase and increases during the mid-luteal phase, depending on systemic circulatory dynamics.
Review
Acoustics
Moira Barbieri, Daniela Denis Di Martino, Enrico Mario Ferrazzi, Tamara Stampalija
Summary: Placental blood supply to the fetus can be measured by evaluating the umbilical vein blood flow. Despite its potential application in healthcare, the umbilical vein blood flow volume is still used only in research setting. One of the reasons is a concern regarding its reproducibility, partly due to technology issues. Nowadays, technology improvements make this evaluation accurate and reproducible. The aim of this review is to refresh basic elements of the physiology of umbilical vein blood flow and its analysis. Its evaluation in normal and abnormal fetal growth is also discussed.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chung-Man Moon, Seul-Kee Kim, Suk-Hee Heo, Sang-Soo Shin
Summary: This study evaluated age-related hemodynamic changes in the portal vein using four-dimensional flow MRI in healthy adults and found that blood flow volume and velocity peak at approximately 43-44 years of age and significantly decrease after 60 years of age, which is associated with the gradual change of liver function and structure.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Christian Pinna, Angelo Sala
Summary: The study found that hesperidin and diosmin have regulatory effects on human umbilical vein vascular tone, with hesperidin showing stronger vasorelaxation. The vasorelaxant response to hesperidin is influenced by endothelium-dependent reactions, while the vasorelaxation effect of diosmin is associated with NO synthase.
JOURNAL OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Tom Y. Zhao, Ethan M. I. Johnson, Guy Elisha, Sourav Halder, Ben C. Smith, Bradley D. Allen, Michael Markl, Neelesh A. Patankar
Summary: The growth of aortic aneurysms can be accurately predicted by analyzing the linear stability of flow through an elastic blood vessel. By using a dimensionless number, abnormal growth of thoracic ascending aortic aneurysms can be distinguished. Further understanding of the transition to blood-wall fluttering instability may provide insights into the mechanisms underlying aneurysm progression in patients.
NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Ophthalmology
Liqin Gao, Jie Wang, Qisheng You, Yukun Guo, Christina J. Flaxel, Thomas S. Hwang, David Huang, Yali Jia, Steven T. Bailey
Summary: PR-OCTA can detect the plexus-specific retinal capillary avascular area in patients with EAMD. The study found that EAMD patients had significantly larger avascular areas in the superficial, intermediate, and deep capillary plexuses compared to the healthy control group.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Nuria Banos, Xavier P. Burgos-Artizzu, Brenda Valenzuela-Alcaraz, David Coronado-Gutierrez, Alvaro Perez-Moreno, Julia Ponce, Eduard Gratacos, Montse Palacio
Summary: This study evaluated the reproducibility of ultrasound cervical length (CL) measurement in the second trimester and found moderate agreement among intra- and inter-observers. However, wide disagreements were observed when using specific cutoffs to classify patients, highlighting the importance of training and quality assessments when considering the universal application of CL measurement for screening.
JOURNAL OF MATERNAL-FETAL & NEONATAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Iolanda Jordan, Mariona Fernandez de Sevilla, Victoria Fumado, Quique Bassat, Elisenda Bonet-Carne, Claudia Fortuny, Aleix Garcia-Miquel, Cristina Jou, Cristina Adroher, Maria Mele Casas, Monica Girona-Alarcon, Maria Hernandez Garcia, Gemma Pons Tomas, Sara Ajanovic, Sara Arias, Nuria Balanza, Barbara Baro, Pere Millat-Martinez, Rosauro Varo, Sergio Alonso, Enric Alvarez-Lacalle, Daniel Lopez, Joana Claverol, Marta Cubells, Pedro Brotons, Anna Codina, Daniel Cuadras, Patricia Bruijning-Verhagen, Saul Faust, Alasdair Munro, Carmen Munoz-Almagro, Marti Catala, Clara Prats, Juan Jose Garcia-Garcia, Eduard Gratacos
Summary: The transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection among children and adult staff in summer schools in Barcelona was lower than the general population, indicating that schools under strict preventive measures are unlikely to be significant sources of transmission.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Alvaro Sepulveda-Martinez, Katarina Steding-Ehrenborg, Merida Rodriguez-Lopez, Ellen Ostenfeld, Brenda Valenzuela-Alcaraz, Einar Heiberg, Eduard Gratacos, Susanna Prat-Gonzalez, Fatima Crispi, Erik Hedstrom
Summary: In a study of healthy adults, echocardiography and semi-automatic CMR showed low variability and provided similar values for MAPSE and TAPSE, making them interchangeable for follow-up studies. Lateral values based on tracked data from AVPD analysis were not significantly different and could be used as a representation of annular displacement.
CLINICAL PHYSIOLOGY AND FUNCTIONAL IMAGING
(2021)
Article
Acoustics
M. Perez-Cruz, O. Gomez, M. Gibert, N. Masoller, E. Marimon, D. Lip-Sosa, M. Bennasar, E. Bonet-Carne, M. D. Gomez-Roig, J. M. Martinez-Crespo, E. Gratacos, E. Eixarch
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate corpus callosum size in fetuses with isolated major congenital heart defects using neurosonography. Findings revealed that fetuses with major CHD had a smaller corpus callosum compared to controls, particularly in the subgroup with expected poorer brain oxygen supply. This suggests sonographic corpus callosum size could serve as a clinically feasible marker of abnormal white matter development in congenital heart defects.
ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
M. L. Boutet, G. Casals, B. Valenzuela-Alcaraz, L. Garcia-Otero, F. Crovetto, M. S. Civico, A. Borras, D. Manau, E. Gratacos, F. Crispi
Summary: The study found that embryos transfer impacts fetal cardiac remodeling and suboptimal function, with more pronounced changes after fresh embryo transfer compared to frozen embryo transfer. Fetuses conceived by assisted reproductive technologies showed larger atria, more globular ventricles, and thicker myocardial walls, as well as signs of suboptimal systolic and diastolic function as compared to spontaneously conceived pregnancies.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Rebecca N. Spencer, Kurt Hecher, Gill Norman, Karel Marsal, Jan Deprest, Alan Flake, Francesc Figueras, Christoph Lees, Steve Thornton, Kathleen Beach, Marcy Powell, Fatima Crispi, Anke Diemert, Neil Marlow, Donald M. Peebles, Magnus Westgren, Helena Gardiner, Eduard Gratacos, Jana Brodszki, Albert Batista, Helen Turier, Mehali Patel, Beverley Power, James Power, Gillian Yaz, Anna L. David
Summary: This study aimed to improve safety monitoring for developing pregnancy drugs, devices, and interventions by creating AE terminology. An international multidisciplinary group filled gaps in definitions and severity grading through a modified Delphi process, allowing systematic consistent AE assessment in pregnancy trials.
PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lennart Van der Veeken, Francesca M. Russo, Ewelina Litwinska, Olga Gomez, Doaa Emam, Liesbeth Lewi, David Basurto, Stephen Van der Veeken, Luc De Catte, Eduard Gratacos, Elisenda Eixarch, Kypros Nicolaides, Jan Deprest
Summary: Fetuses with isolated left-sided CDH exhibit a small cerebellum and reduced MCA peak systolic velocity. Disease severity is correlated to changes in TCD and MCA Doppler values. Follow-up studies are needed to determine the impact of these changes on neurodevelopment.
PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Ben Van Calster, Alexandra Benachi, Kypros H. Nicolaides, Eduard Gratacos, Christoph Berg, Nicola Persico, Glenn J. Gardener, Michael Belfort, Yves Ville, Greg Ryan, Anthony Johnson, Haruhiko Sago, Przemyslaw Kosinski, Pietro Bagolan, Tim Van Mieghem, Philip L. J. DeKoninck, Francesca M. Russo, Stuart B. Hooper, Jan A. Deprest
Summary: This analysis suggests that fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion improves survival in cases of moderate and severe lung hypoplasia. The timing of balloon insertion may impact the treatment effect, but further research is needed to determine its precise influence due to the limited sample size and confounding factors. In particular, early insertion of the balloon greatly increases the risk of preterm delivery.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Francesca Crovetto, Fatima Crispi, Rosa Casas, Andres Martin-Asuero, Roger Borras, Eduard Vieta, Ramon Estruch, Eduard Gratacos
Summary: In this study, structured Mediterranean diet or mindfulness-based stress reduction interventions in high-risk pregnancies significantly reduced the percentage of newborns born small for gestational age and other adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to usual care. These findings are preliminary and need replication and further assessment in different patient populations before being recommended.
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sergio Alonso, Marti Catala, Daniel Lopez, Enric Alvarez-Lacalle, Iolanda Jordan, Juan Jose Garcia-Garcia, Victoria Fumado, Carmen Munoz-Almagro, Eduard Gratacos, Nuria Balanza, Rosauro Varo, Pere Millat, Barbara Baro, Sara Ajanovic, Sara Arias, Joana Claverol, Mariona Fernandez de Sevilla, Elisenda Bonet-Carne, Aleix Garcia-Miquel, Ermengol Coma, Manuel Medina-Peralta, Francesc Fina, Clara Prats, Quique Bassat
Summary: The reopening of schools in Catalonia appeared to be safe and the preventive measures in place were effective in detecting and containing transmission. The risk of transmission within schools was found to be relatively low.
Letter
Acoustics
E. Eixarch, E. Gratacos
ULTRASOUND IN OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xavier P. Burgos-Artizzu, David Coronado-Gutierrez, Brenda Valenzuela-Alcaraz, Elisenda Bonet-Carne, Elisenda Eixarch, Fatima Crispi, Eduard Gratacos
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Carlota Dobano, Selena Alonso, Marta Vidal, Alfons Jimenez, Rocio Rubio, Rebeca Santano, Diana Barrios, Gemma Pons Tomas, Maria Mele Casas, Maria Hernandez Garcia, Monica Girona-Alarcon, Laura Puyol, Barbara Baro, Pere Millat-Martinez, Sara Ajanovic, Nuria Balanza, Sara Arias, Natalia Rodrigo Melero, Carlo Carolis, Aleix Garcia-Miquel, Elisenda Bonet-Carne, Joana Claverol, Marta Cubells, Claudia Fortuny, Victoria Fumado, Anna Codina, Quique Bassat, Carmen Munoz-Almagro, Mariona Fernandez de Sevilla, Eduard Gratacos, Luis Izquierdo, Juan Jose Garcia-Garcia, Ruth Aguilar, Iolanda Jordan, Gemma Moncunill
Summary: COVID-19 has a lesser impact on children compared to adults, but they can still get infected and transmit the virus. A study evaluated the use of high-throughput Luminex assays to measure SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in saliva and compared them to serum/plasma samples in infected children and adults. The results showed a correlation between saliva and serum/plasma antibody levels, and infected children had higher antibody levels, suggesting stronger clinical immunity. Therefore, measuring saliva antibodies could be a useful tool to determine COVID-19 prevalence and transmission in pediatric populations.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Lina Youssef, Francesca Crovetto, Rui Vasco Simoes, Jezid Miranda, Cristina Paules, Miquel Blasco, Marta Palomo, Hector Garcia-Caldero, Olga Tura-Ceide, Ana Paula Dantas, Virginia Hernandez-Gea, Pol Herrero, Nuria Canela, Josep Maria Campistol, Joan Carles Garcia-Pagan, Maribel Diaz-Ricart, Eduard Gratacos, Fatima Crispi
Summary: This study utilized metabolomic analysis to investigate the pathophysiological pathways involved in early-onset severe preeclampsia, revealing six altered metabolic pathways that may play a role in the development of this condition.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Laura Nogue, Olga Gomez, Nora Izquierdo, Cristina Mula, Narcis Masoller, Josep M. Martinez, Eduard Gratacos, Greggory Devore, Fatima Crispi, Mar Bennasar
Summary: This study evaluated the feasibility and reproducibility of 4D-STIC speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) using FetalHQ(R), and compared it to 2D STE. The results showed that 4D-STIC is feasible and reproducible for assessing cardiac morphometry and function.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)