(University of Virginia Health System) Focused ultrasound, the researchers hope, could revolutionize treatment for conditions from Alzheimer's to epilepsy to brain tumors -- and even help repair the devastating damage caused by stroke.

(University of Sydney) Data centres and digital information processors are reaching their capacity limits and producing heat. Foundational work here on optical-acoustic microchips opens door to low-heat, low-energy, fast internet.

7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility and diagnostic efficacy of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) combined with PET-ultrasound image-guided biopsy in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Methods: A total of 31 patients with previously negative prostate biopsy, but persistent elevated serum prostate specific antigen (PSA), were imaged with a ⁶⁸Ga-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT ligand prior to undergoing repeat prostate biopsy. Based on the proposed PROMISE criteria, PSMA PET/CT results were interpreted as negative (miPSMA-ES 0-1) or positive (miPSMA-ES 2-3). All patients underwent standard template systematic biopsy with up to four additional PSMA PET-ultrasound fusion image-guided biopsy cores. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of PSMA PET/CT were determined. In addition, the correlation between miPSMA-ES and detection rate of prostate cancer was also analyzed. Univariate logistic regression models were established using PSMA PET/CT semi-quantitative analysis parameters to predict the outcome of repeat prostate biopsy. Results: The median age of patients was 65 years (range 53-81), and the median PSA level was 18.0 ng/ml (range 5.48-49.77 ng/ml). Prostate cancer was detected in 15/31 patients (48.4%) and 12/31 patients (38.7%) had clinically significant disease. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT in the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer were 100.0%, 68.4%, 66.7%, 100.0% and 80.6%, respectively. The detection rate of prostate cancer increased with the increase of miPSMA-ES score. The detection rate of clinically significant prostate cancer in miPSMA-ES 0-1, 2 and 3 groups were 0%, 54.5% and 85.7% respectively. Semi-quantitative analysis of ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT images showed that predictive models based on maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_max), tumor-to-background normal prostate SUV (SUVT/BGp) and tumor-to-background normal liver SUV (SUVratio) could effectively predict clinically significant prostate cancer; area under the curves were 0.930, 0.877, and 0.956, respectively. Conclusion: This study preliminarily confirmed that ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging combined with PET-ultrasound fusion image-guided prostate biopsy can effectively detect clinically significant prostate cancer. Prebiopsy ⁶⁸Ga-PSMA PET/CT has predictive value for clinically significant cancer in the studied patient population.

7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3

They sing for him, Swinging from heel to frail heel, Growing earth between the ground and, his casket, Bleeding love into the air Like orchids, Humming, They rise again And again their gently swaying busts, Move the air to and fro, To and fro, Intending that mother be comforted, Intending that her wet eyes, Smile […]

Keyboard instruments -- History -- 20th century.

2017

We introduce an optimized physics-informed neural network (PINN) trained to solve the problem of identifying and characterizing a surface breaking crack in a metal plate. PINNs are neural networks that can combine data and physics in the learning process by adding the residuals of a system of Partial Differential Equations to the loss function. Our PINN is supervised with realistic ultrasonic surface acoustic wave data acquired at a frequency of 5 MHz. The ultrasonic surface wave data is represented as a surface deformation on the top surface of a metal plate, measured by using the method of laser vibrometry. The PINN is physically informed by the acoustic wave equation and its convergence is sped up using adaptive activation functions. The adaptive activation function uses a scalable hyperparameter in the activation function, which is optimized to achieve best performance of the network as it changes dynamically the topology of the loss function involved in the optimization process. The usage of adaptive activation function significantly improves the convergence, notably observed in the current study. We use PINNs to estimate the speed of sound of the metal plate, which we do with an error of 1\%, and then, by allowing the speed of sound to be space dependent, we identify and characterize the crack as the positions where the speed of sound has decreased. Our study also shows the effect of sub-sampling of the data on the sensitivity of sound speed estimates. More broadly, the resulting model shows a promising deep neural network model for ill-posed inverse problems.

Régis Trapeau
Mar 28, 2018; 38:3252-3264
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Called "Social Distancing, Haiku and You," Alan Nakagawa's project will result in a sound collage that interweaves a multitude of voices

Sound of hope  The New Indian Express

Between 17 and 23 December 2010, the team of OM Mexico and a group of volunteers gave away 200 sandals to children in the poor Mexican farming state of Chiapas.

Thirteen musicians and singers arrived in Vienna from all over the world, to take part in the musical outreach, ‘The Sound of Easter.’

Head injuries and concern for skull fracture are common in pediatrics. Point-of-care ultrasound is an imaging tool that can be used to diagnose fractures. However, there are scant data regarding the accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound in skull fracture diagnosis.

Clinicians with focused point-of-care ultrasound training are able to diagnose skull fractures in children with high specificity. Ultrasound may be valuable to diagnose skull fractures in children at the point of care. (Read the full article)

Routine head ultrasound scans (HUSs) are frequently performed in the preoperative evaluation of the infants with congenital heart disease, and brain MRI is being increasingly used in the research setting. The utility of HUSs in this population has not yet been established.

This is the first study to prospectively evaluate the utility of routine HUSs compared with MRIs in asymptomatic newborns and young infants undergoing cardiac surgery. Our findings suggest that routine HUS is not indicated in asymptomatic term or near-term neonates undergoing surgery for CHD. (Read the full article)

Current guidelines recommend renal ultrasound as a screening test after febrile urinary tract infection, with voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) only if the ultrasound is abnormal. Few studies have evaluated the accuracy of ultrasound as a screening test for VCUG-identified abnormalities.

This study shows that ultrasound is a poor screening test for genitourinary abnormalities identified on VCUG, such as vesicoureteral reflux. Neither positive nor negative ultrasounds reliably identify or rule out such abnormalities. Ultrasound and VCUG provide different, but complementary, information. (Read the full article)

Many parenting Web sites encourage use of infant "sleep machines" to play ambient noise while infants sleep. Noise recommendations for hospital nurseries suggest a limit of 50 A-weighted dB, whereas occupational standards limit exposure times for noise >85 A-weighted dB.

We measured the maximum sound level outputs of infant sleep machines and found that several devices are capable of producing levels that may be damaging to infant hearing and may be detrimental to auditory development. (Read the full article)

Lung ultrasound outperforms conventional radiology in the emergency diagnosis of pneumothorax and pleural effusions. In the pediatric age, lung ultrasound has been also successfully applied to the fluid-to-air transition after birth and to rapid pneumonia diagnosis.

Nasal ventilation has dramatically decreased the need for invasive mechanical respiratory support. This study demonstrates that, after a short trial on nasal continuous positive airway pressure, lung ultrasonography reliably predicts the failure of noninvasive ventilation unlike the conventional chest radiogram. (Read the full article)

Neonatal coarctation of the aorta (CoA) is a life-threatening cardiac defect, but because symptoms may be lacking initially, newborns with this defect are frequently discharged from the hospital undiagnosed. Delayed diagnosis of CoA is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

This population-based study analyzes the contribution of prenatal ultrasound and postnatal pulse oximetry screening to the timely diagnosis of neonatal CoA. Both screening methods had low sensitivity for CoA. Nearly half of all newborns with isolated CoA were discharged undiagnosed. (Read the full article)

The value of ultrasound imaging for the diagnosis, prognosis, and surgical planning of cryptorchidism is limited at best.

Ultrasound remains grossly overused by referring physicians throughout Ontario, Canada, which resulted in a 3-month delay to definitive surgery and unnecessary expenditures. (Read the full article)

Marco Denina
Apr 21, 2020; 0:peds.2020-1157v1-e20201157
Research Brief

Save on a new TV, soundbar, or media streamer for the Big Game. Plus, the best deals of the week, including discounts on AirPods, Roombas, and Dell's XPS 13 laptop, are all still available.

The research behind growth mindset and grit is familiar to many educators, but when misrepresented, can be harmful. The executive director of the Mindset Scholars Network, explains.

When it comes to soundbars, Bose excels with its SoundTouch 300, which is currently $300 off at Amazon, bringing it down to $399.

Belkin partnered with audio experts Devialet to create a high-quality audio experience while also offering access to Google Assistant and wireless charging for your phone.

The Roku Smart Soundbar is a capable stereo speaker that adds all of the capabilities of a 4K Roku media streamer to the mix.

The $130 Vizio 2.1 SB2021n-G6 is an inexpensive soundbar and subwoofer combo that falls short on audio performance and usability.

The price is right and the feature set is enticing, but the Anker Nebula Soundbar Fire TV Edition provides only modest sonic returns.

Want better-sounding audio from your TV? Grab one of these compact speaker systems and instantly amp up your home theater experience, without all the messy wires of a traditional setup. From our lab to your living room, here are the best soundbars we've tested.

The portable Anker Soundcore Flare 2 speakers delivers solid audio and cool LED lights in a waterproof design for a fair price.

The Ausounds AU-Flex ANC earphones deliver solid noise cancellation and a powerful, sculpted audio experience in a neckband design.

The Coros SafeSound is the best-looking smart helmet for bicycling, with three styles for mountain, road, and urban biking. The Bluetooth earpieces still need minor design tweaks, however.

Wilmington --

DART, together with Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT, SEPTA, and other regional public transit operators today launched a coordinated day of action to simultaneously sound their fleet of bus horns on April 16 to honor heroic transportation workers across the region. As a tribute to #HeroesMovingHeroes on the front lines of this public health crisis, all buses running in service will give two one-second horn blasts at 3 PM in solidarity with partner agencies. Heroic transportation workers continue to provide critical service for healthcare workers, first responders, childcare workers, grocery store employees and other heroes who are performing critically essential work during the Covid-19 pandemic. [More]

Second Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Monday Onyekachi Ubani has reacted to the Supreme Court’s nullification of the conviction of a former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu. Also nullified was the judgement against his firm, Slok Nigeria Limited and Jones Udeogu, a former Director of Finance and Account of Abia […]

Supreme Court verdict on Orji Kalu right, sound – Monday Ubani

The Fukuoka group has released its first major-label mini-album, and is firmly looking forward.

CES 2016, LAS VEGAS – Today, HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE:HAR), the premier connected technologies company for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, announced the newest version of Infinity® Reference Speakers and...

Media guests, bloggers and influencers were recently invited to travel through Hungary and Slovakia on the Kia x JBL Sound Tour, an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience of the two brands’ sound-filled partnership. Organized from July 2-4, the Sound...

MUNICH, Germany – HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. focused on connected technologies for automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, today announced the opening of its first Experience Store in Europe....

HARMAN has just inaugurated its very first Experience Store in Europe. Located at Sendlinger Straße 46, in the heart of Munich’s bustling central shopping district, the new location is designed to showcase HARMAN’s award-winning audio solutions and...

For its 69th edition, basketball enthusiasts across the country gathered in the Windy City and home of the Chicago Bulls, to celebrate the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) annual All-Star Celebration.     As a proud and longstanding partner of...

CES 2020 – LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 6, 2020 – It’s time to ditch your generic, piercing smartphone alarm. The JBL Horizon 2 Bluetooth clock radio and speaker duo customizes the wake-up experience to help make anyone a morning person. Following the success...