Multiorgan MRI findings after hospitalisation with COVID-19 in the UK (C-MORE): a prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study

Introduction: The multiorgan impact of moderate to severe coronavirus infections in the post-acute phase is still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities after hospitalisation with COVID-19, evaluate their determinants, and explore associations with patient-related outcome measures. Methods: In a prospective, UK-wide, multicentre MRI follow-up study (C-MORE), adults (aged ≥18 years) discharged from hospital following COVID-19 who were included in Tier 2 of the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study (PHOSP-COVID) and contemporary controls with no evidence of previous COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody negative) underwent multiorgan MRI (lungs, heart, brain, liver, and kidneys) with quantitative and qualitative assessment of images and clinical adjudication when relevant. Individuals with end-stage renal failure or contraindications to MRI were excluded. Participants also underwent detailed recording of symptoms, and physiological and biochemical tests. The primary outcome was the excess burden of multiorgan abnormalities (two or more organs) relative to controls, with further adjustments for potential confounders. The C-MORE study is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04510025. Findings: Of 2710 participants in Tier 2 of PHOSP-COVID, 531 were recruited across 13 UK-wide C-MORE sites. After exclusions, 259 C-MORE patients (mean age 57 years [SD 12]; 158 [61%] male and 101 [39%] female) who were discharged from hospital with PCR-confirmed or clinically diagnosed COVID-19 between March 1, 2020, and Nov 1, 2021, and 52 non-COVID-19 controls from the community (mean age 49 years [SD 14]; 30 [58%] male and 22 [42%] female) were included in the analysis. Patients were assessed at a median of 5·0 months (IQR 4·2–6·3) after hospital discharge. Compared with non-COVID-19 controls, patients were older, living with more obesity, and had more comorbidities. Multiorgan abnormalities on MRI were more frequent in patients than in controls (157 [61%] of 259 vs 14 [27%] of 52; p5mg/L, OR 3·55 [1·23–11·88]; padjusted=0·025) than those without multiorgan abnormalities. Presence of lung MRI abnormalities was associated with a two-fold higher risk of chest tightness, and multiorgan MRI abnormalities were associated with severe and very severe persistent physical and mental health impairment (PHOSP-COVID symptom clusters) after hospitalisation. Interpretation: After hospitalisation for COVID-19, people are at risk of multiorgan abnormalities in the medium term. Our findings emphasise the need for proactive multidisciplinary care pathways, with the potential for imaging to guide surveillance frequency and therapeutic stratification. Funding: UK Research and Innovation and National Institute for Health Research

Exploring the feasibility of a stand alone muon facility for muSR research

The current paper discusses possible designs for a high intensity stand alone muon source formuSR studies of condensed matter. In particular we shall focus upon the potential implementation of a new generation of high power but relatively compact and cost effective proton drivers based on non-scaling fixed field alternating gradient (ns-FFAG) accelerator technology. The technical issues which must be addressed are also considered

Transmission ion channeling analysis of isolated 60° misfit dislocations

10.1063/1.2135393Applied Physics Letters87211-3APPL

Observation of planar oscillations of MeV protons in silicon using ion channeling patterns

This paper describes the observation of {110} planar oscillations of 3 MeV protons transmitted through a 0.5 mu m thick [001] silicon crystal using ion channeling patterns produced on a fluorescent viewing screen. Gradual variations in the crystal thickness allowed the exit angular distribution of the protons to be sampled al different depths into the crystal, revealing effects due to the coherent planar oscillations. This work necessitated the use of a focused MeV proton beam from a nuclear microprobe to generate channeling patterns from selected, micron-size regions and the necessary ion optics are developed here. The recorded channeling patterns are interpreted with the help of Monte Carlo computer simulations

Observation of Many Coherent Oscillations for MeV Protons Transmitted through Stacking Faults

Physical Review Letters924455031-455034PRLT

Magnetic correlations and the Anisotropic Kondo Effect in Ce1-xLaxAl3

By combining the results of muon spin relaxation and inelastic neutron scattering in the heavy fermion compounds Ce1-xLaxAl3 (0.0 <=x <=0.2), we show that static magnetic correlations are suppressed above a characteristic temperature, T*, by electronic dissipation rather than by thermal disorder. Below T* an energy gap opens in the single-ion magnetic response in agreement with the predictions of the anisotropic Kondo model. Scaling arguments suggest that similar behavior may underlie the ‘‘hidden order’’ in URu2Si2