ADC mapping of the aging frontal lobes in mild cognitive impairment

Normal aging, leukoaraiosis (LA) and vascular disease particularly involve the human frontal lobes. We decided to investigate a population of elderly patients referred for neuroimaging because of progressive minor cognitive deficits but no dementia. They underwent conventional Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using axial T1 and T2-weighted imaging as well as coronal FLAIR sequences in addition to the axial diffusion-weighted MRI. MRI allowed us to differentiate patients with leukoaraïosis (LA+) from those without it (LA-) and mapping of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) to investigate local tissular water motion.We observed an increase in the ADC in all investigated patients with increasing age (r=0.326, p=0.002). This increase was observed in both patients groups (LA+ and LA-) . In addition, the LA+ group had significant higher ADC values than the LA- group after controlling for age (p<0.0001

Onecut-dependent Nkx6.2 transcription factor expression is required for proper formation and activity of spinal locomotor circuits.

In the developing spinal cord, Onecut transcription factors control the diversification of motor neurons into distinct neuronal subsets by ensuring the maintenance of Isl1 expression during differentiation. However, other genes downstream of the Onecut proteins and involved in motor neuron diversification have remained unidentified. In the present study, we generated conditional mutant embryos carrying specific inactivation of Onecut genes in the developing motor neurons, performed RNA-sequencing to identify factors downstream of Onecut proteins in this neuron population, and employed additional transgenic mouse models to assess the role of one specific Onecut-downstream target, the transcription factor Nkx6.2. Nkx6.2 expression was up-regulated in Onecut-deficient motor neurons, but strongly downregulated in Onecut-deficient V2a interneurons, indicating an opposite regulation of Nkx6.2 by Onecut factors in distinct spinal neuron populations. Nkx6.2-null embryos, neonates and adult mice exhibited alterations of locomotor pattern and spinal locomotor network activity, likely resulting from defective survival of a subset of limb-innervating motor neurons and abnormal migration of V2a interneurons. Taken together, our results indicate that Nkx6.2 regulates the development of spinal neuronal populations and the formation of the spinal locomotor circuits downstream of the Onecut transcription factors

Dating Post Mortem Submersion Interval (PMSI) of mammal bone - initial findings by Micro-CT Scan

Twelve large mammal bones, associated with underwater archaeological excavations on four shipwrecks on the Western Australia coast, were analysed by Micro-CT Scan (Skyscan 1176). They all belong to the collections of the Shipwrecks Museum, a section of the Western Australian Museum in Fremantle, Western Australia. The aim is the investigation of any physical modifications linked to underwater taphonomy and diagenesis of bone

Patterns of disappearance of the middle ear ossicular chain as potential Post-Mortem Interval estimation indicator

The human ossicular chain is composed of 3 tiny bones: malleus, incus and stapes. They are located inside the middle ear cavity, within the temporal bone, and united by joints. The aim of this pilot study was to analyse the presence, complete or partial, or the absence of the ossicular chain in palaeontological, archaeological and modern skeletal remains with different post mortem intervals and taphonomy, as inhumation, entombment, submersion and exposure

Clinical impact of screening computed tomography in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Data on the prevalence and clinical impact of extrapulmonary findings at screening computed tomography (CT) on initiation of veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) are limited. We aimed to identify the prevalence of extrapulmonary findings on screening CT following V-V ECMO initiation. We hypothesized that extrapulmonary findings would influence clinical management and outcome. Methods Retrospective analysis (2011–2021) of admission screening CT including head, abdomen and pelvis with contrast of consecutive patients on initiation of V-V ECMO. CT findings identified by the attending consultant radiologist were extracted. Demographics, admission physiological and laboratory data, clinical decision-making following CT and ECMO ICU mortality were recorded from the electronic medical record. We used multivariable logistic regression and Kaplan–Meier curves to evaluate associations between extrapulmonary findings and ECMO ICU mortality. Results Of the 833 patients receiving V-V ECMO, 761 underwent routine admission CT (91.4%). ECMO ICU length of stay was 19 days (IQR 12–23); ICU mortality at the ECMO centre was 18.9%. An incidental extrapulmonary finding was reported in 227 patients (29.8%), leading to an invasive procedure in 12/227 cases (5.3%) and a change in medical management (mainly in anticoagulation strategy) in 119/227 (52.4%). Extrapulmonary findings associated with mortality were intracranial haemorrhage (OR 2.34 (95% CI 1.31–4.12), cerebral infarction (OR 3.59 (95% CI 1.26–9.86) and colitis (OR 2.80 (95% CI 1.35–5.67). Conclusions Screening CT frequently identifies extrapulmonary findings of clinical significance. Newly detected intracranial haemorrhage, cerebral infarction and colitis were associated with increased ICU mortality