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Background: Maternity protection rights incorporate comprehensive benefits that should be available to pregnant or breastfeeding working women., Research Aim: To describe South Africa's maternity protection legal and policy landscape and compare it to global recommendations., Method: A prospective cross-sectional comparative policy analysis was used to review and describe national policy documents published from 1994-2021. Entitlements were mapped and compared to International Labour Organization standards. The document analysis was supplemented by interviews conducted with key national government department informants. Thematic analysis was used to evaluate policy and interview content., Results: Elements of maternity protection policy are incorporated into South Africa's constitutional dispensation, and some measures are consistent with international labor and social security standards. However, the policy framework is fragmented and difficult to interpret. The fragmented policy environment makes it challenging for employees to know their maternity rights' entitlements and for employers to understand their responsibilities. Confusion regarding maternity protection rights is amplified by the complexity of ensuring access to different forms of maternal protection in pre- and postnatal stages, oversight by multiple government departments, and heterogenous working environments., Conclusions: Maternity protection in South Africa is fragmented and difficult to access. Overcoming these challenges requires legislative and implementation measures to ensure greater policy coherence and comprehensive guidance on maternity protection rights. Addressing gaps in maternity protection in South Africa may provide insights for other countries with shortcomings in maternity protection provisions and could contribute to improved breastfeeding practices.

Objective: To investigate the presence, degree, predictors, and trajectory of dysphagia, dysphonia, and dysarthria among adults hospitalized with COVID-19 across the Republic of Ireland (ROI) during the first wave of the pandemic., Study Design: Prospective observational cohort study., Methods: Adults with confirmed COVID-19 who were admitted into 14 participating acute hospitals across ROI and referred to speech and language therapy between March 1st and June 30th , 2020 were recruited. Outcomes obtained at initial SLT evaluation and at discharge were oral intake status (Functional Oral Intake Scale), perceptual voice quality (GRBAS), and global dysarthria rating (Dysarthria Severity Scale)., Results: Data from 315 adults were analyzed. At initial SLT assessment, 84% required modified oral diets, and 31% required tube feeding. There were high rates of dysphonia (42%) and dysarthria (23%). History of intubation (OR 19.959, 95% CI 6.272, 63.513; P = .000), COVID-19 neurological manifestations (OR 3.592, 95% CI 1.733, 7.445; P = .001), and age (OR 1.034; 95% CI 1.002, 1.066; P = .036) were predictive of oral intake status. History of intubation was predictive of voice quality (OR 4.250, 95% CI 1.838, 9.827; P = .001) and COVID-19 neurological manifestations were predictive of dysarthria (OR 2.275; 95% CI 1.162, 4.456; P = .017). At discharge, there were significant improvements in oral intake (Z = -7.971; P = .000), voice quality (Z = -5.971; P = .000), and dysarthria severity (Z = -2.619; P = .009), although need for modified oral intake (59%), dysphonia (23%), and dysarthria (14%) persisted., Conclusion: Dysphagia, dysphonia, and dysarthria were widespread among adults hospitalized with COVID-19 and they persisted for many at discharge. Prompt SLT evaluation is required to minimize complications., Level of Evidence: 3 Laryngoscope, 132:1251-1259, 2022., (© 2021 The Authors. The Laryngoscope published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.)

Objectives: This study aims to (i) investigate post-extubation dysphagia and dysphonia amongst adults intubated with SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) and referred to speech and language therapy (SLT) in acute hospitals across the Republic of Ireland (ROI) between March and June 2020; (ii) identify variables predictive of post-extubation oral intake status and dysphonia and (iii) establish SLT rehabilitation needs and services provided to this cohort., Design: A multi-site prospective observational cohort study., Participants: One hundred adults with confirmed COVID-19 who were intubated across eleven acute hospital sites in ROI and who were referred to SLT services between March and June 2020 inclusive., Main Outcome Measures: Oral intake status, level of diet modification and perceptual voice quality., Results: Based on initial SLT assessment, 90% required altered oral intake and 59% required tube feeding with 36% not allowed oral intake. Age (OR 1.064; 95% CI 1.018-1.112), proning (OR 3.671; 95% CI 1.128-11.943) and pre-existing respiratory disease (OR 5.863; 95% CI 1.521-11.599) were predictors of oral intake status post-extubation. Two-thirds (66%) presented with dysphonia post-extubation. Intubation injury (OR 10.471; 95% CI 1.060-103.466) and pre-existing respiratory disease (OR 24.196; 95% CI 1.609-363.78) were predictors of post-extubation voice quality. Thirty-seven per cent required dysphagia intervention post-extubation, whereas 20% needed intervention for voice. Dysphagia and dysphonia persisted in 27% and 37% cases, respectively, at hospital discharge., Discussion: Post-extubation dysphagia and dysphonia were prevalent amongst adults with COVID-19 across the ROI. Predictors included iatrogenic factors and underlying respiratory disease. Prompt evaluation and intervention is needed to minimise complications and inform rehabilitation planning., (© 2021 The Authors. Clinical Otolaryngology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

A critical knowledge gap has been noted in breast cancer detection, prognosis, and evaluation between tumor microenvironment and associated neoplasm. Artificial intelligence (AI) has multiple subsets or methods for data extraction and evaluation, including artificial neural networking, which allows computational foundations, similar to neurons, to make connections and new neural pathways during data set training. Deep machine learning and AI hold great potential to accurately assess tumor microenvironment models employing vast data management techniques. Despite the significant potential AI holds, there is still much debate surrounding the appropriate and ethical curation of medical data from picture archiving and communication systems. AI output's clinical significance depends on its human predecessor's data training sets. Integration between biomarkers, risk factors, and imaging data will allow the best predictor models for patient-based outcomes., (Copyright © 2021 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Despite the incidence and recurrence rates of breast cancer, there are currently no biomarkers to predict which cases will develop into lobular carcinoma (LC). The purpose of this study was to determine the association between ultrasound morphologic characteristics of LC and histopathological classifications., Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted on the ultrasound images and histopathological reports of 100 patients with a confirmed LC diagnosis between January 2013 and December 2016., Results: Morphologic ultrasound characteristics most frequently reported in the dataset of positively diagnosed LC patients were; irregular ultrasound shape (86%), hypoechoic echogenicity (88%), poorly circumscribed margin (95%), posterior acoustic enhancement (93%) and absent calcifications (81%). Using Fisher's extract test, it was found that stromal fibrosis, single file type pattern, atypical lobular hyperplasia and LC Grade II were significantly correlated with irregular shape and hypoechoic echogenicity., Conclusion: A prognostic predictor tool can be designed from this study's findings which can then be used in practice to raise awareness of the unique morphometric markers related to LC of the breast., (© 2019 University of Pretoria. Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy and New Zealand Institute of Medical Radiation Technology.)

We report a case of a 65-year-old male patient who presented with localized swelling and lump in the proximal third of the upper thigh. Most common upper thigh injuries involve the quadriceps muscle group associated with football injuries; however, in rare incidents certain forceful intrinsic injuries can cause intramuscular tear of the sartorius muscle. This is a rare case of spontaneous muscle rupture in an elderly patient with no history of recent sporting activity. Ultrasound provides a cost-effective, dynamic evaluation of the anterior upper thigh muscles to differentiate between chronic and acute phases of injury.

We report a case of a 12-year-old boy who presented with infrapatellar pain, with subsequent diagnosis of traction apophysitis of the knee (Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease). Conventional radiographs are frequently reported with no significant findings in the acute setting, leading to ultrasound as the modality of choice for diagnostic efficacy of apophyseal traction injuries in young athletes. Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease has a 2%-5% incidence in children aged 10-15 years, with the most common cause related to sporting activities related to jumping.