Early Literacy Skills and Later Reading and Writing Performance Across Countries: The Effects of Orthographic Consistency and Preschool Curriculum

Background Studies have reported a strong association between children's early literacy skills at preschool and their reading and writing skills at primary school. However, it is unclear whether this association is affected by language and curriculum practices. Objective The study investigates (i) whether early literacy skills are influenced by orthographic consistency and by preschool curriculum, and (ii) how early skills are related to later literacy skills across countries. Method Three countries, Italy (n = 73), Romania (n = 65), and Belgium (n = 109) were involved in the study, for a total of 247 children. Language and early literacy in preschool were assessed using a novel assessment tool (the ‘Talk’). Early visual-phonological and manual aspects integration were investigated using rapid automatized naming and grapho-motor tasks. The children’s reading and writing skills nine months later were assessed using standardized tests. Results Results showed higher early literacy scores for the groups of children speaking languages with more transparent orthographic systems and for the group taking part in preschool activities designed to enhance literacy acquisition. Later reading and writing skills were predicted by early competences, albeit with differences across countries. Conclusions Findings suggest that literacy acquisition trajectories are not only associated with early skills but are also influenced by language characteristics and curriculum practices. The study also presents preliminary findings relative to the ‘Talk’, an assessment tool that may have important implications for early identification and intervention of language and literacy difficulties, as well as for improving cross-country curriculum practices

Do MRI Structured Reports for Multiple Sclerosis Contain Adequate Information for Clinical Decision Making?

OBJECTIVE. Few data are available on how often MRI reports provide sufficient information for clinical decision making in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of this study is to evaluate if structured reporting of MRI in MS contain adequate information for clinical decision making compared with nonstructured reporting. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Brain and spinal cord MRI reports of patients with suspected or known MS before and after implementation of a structured reporting template were included. Brain and spinal cord MRI reports were assessed for presence of 11 and three key features relevant for management of MS, respectively. Three neurologists evaluated reports and images to assess lesion load, presence of sufficient information for clinical decision making, and necessity to review MR images for clinical decision making. Statistical analysis included t tests and chi-square tests. RESULTS. Thirty-two structured and 37 nonstructured reports were reviewed. Brain MRI nonstructured reports contained a mean +/- SD of 3.59 +/- 0.76 key features, and structured reports contained a mean of 10.25 +/- 1.32 key features (p < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in the number of key features in nonstructured and structured spinal cord MRI reports. All neurologists could understand lesion load significantly more often when reading structured versus nonstructured reports (p < 0.001). For two of the three neurologists, structured reports contained adequate information for clinical decision making more often than did nonstructured reports (p < 0.001 and p = 0.006). When reading nonstructured reports, two of the three neurologists needed to evaluate images significantly more often (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION. Structured reports of MRI in patients with MS provided more adequate information for clinical decision making than nonstructured reports

Texture analysis and machine learning to predict water T2 and fat fraction from non-quantitative MRI of thigh muscles in Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy

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miR-210-3p enriched extracellular vesicles from hypoxic neuroblastoma cells stimulate migration and invasion of target cells

Abstract Background Tumor hypoxia stimulates release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) that facilitate short- and long-range intercellular communication and metastatization. Albeit hypoxia and EVs release are known features of Neuroblastoma (NB), a metastasis-prone childhood malignancy of the sympathetic nervous system, whether hypoxic EVs can facilitate NB dissemination is unclear. Methods Here we isolated and characterized EVs from normoxic and hypoxic NB cell culture supernatants and performed microRNA (miRNA) cargo analysis to identify key mediators of EVs biological effects. We then validated if EVs promote pro-metastatic features both in vitro and in an in vivo zebrafish model. Results EVs from NB cells cultured at different oxygen tensions did not differ for type and abundance of surface markers nor for biophysical properties. However, EVs derived from hypoxic NB cells (hEVs) were more potent than their normoxic counterpart in inducing NB cells migration and colony formation. miR-210-3p was the most abundant miRNA in the cargo of hEVs; mechanistically, overexpression of miR-210-3p in normoxic EVs conferred them pro-metastatic features, whereas miR-210-3p silencing suppressed the metastatic ability of hypoxic EVs both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion Our data identify a role for hypoxic EVs and their miR-210-3p cargo enrichment in the cellular and microenvironmental changes favoring NB dissemination

In Vivo MR Microneurography of the Tibial and Common Peroneal Nerves

MR microneurography is a noninvasive technique that provides visualization of the microanatomy of peripheral nerves, otherwise available only with histopathology. The objective of this study was to present a protocol to visualize the microstructure of peripheral nerves in vivo, using a 3T MRI scanner with a clinical set of coils and sequences. The tibial and the common peroneal nerves of healthy volunteers were imaged above the medial malleolus and at the level of the fibular head, respectively. The acquired images provided details about the internal structure of peripheral nerves, with visualization of the fascicles, the interfascicular fat, the epineurium, and the perineurium. MR microneurography can be performed in a clinical setting with acceptable imaging times and can be a potentially powerful tool that complements standard MR neurography

Facing Contrast-Enhancing Gliomas: Perfusion MRI in Grade III and Grade IV Gliomas according to Tumor Area

Tumoral neoangiogenesis characterizes high grade gliomas. Relative Cerebral Blood Volume (rCBV), calculated with Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (DSC) Perfusion-Weighted Imaging (PWI), allows for the estimation of vascular density over the tumor bed. The aim of the study was to characterize putative tumoral neoangiogenesis via the study of maximal rCBV with a Region of Interest (ROI) approach in three tumor areas—the contrast-enhancing area, the nonenhancing tumor, and the high perfusion area on CBV map—in patients affected by contrast-enhancing glioma (grades III and IV). Twenty-one patients were included: 15 were affected by grade IV and 6 by grade III glioma. Maximal rCBV values for each patient were averaged according to glioma grade. Although rCBV from contrast-enhancement and from nonenhancing tumor areas was higher in grade IV glioma than in grade III (5.58 and 2.68; 3.01 and 2.2, resp.), the differences were not significant. Instead, rCBV recorded in the high perfusion area on CBV map, independently of tumor compartment, was significantly higher in grade IV glioma than in grade III (7.51 versus 3.78, P=0.036). In conclusion, neoangiogenesis encompasses different tumor compartments and CBV maps appear capable of best characterizing the degree of neovascularization. Facing contrast-enhancing brain tumors, areas of high perfusion on CBV maps should be considered as the reference areas to be targeted for glioma grading

Meningeal Melanomatosis: A Challenge for Timely Diagnosis

Neoplastic meningitis is a central nervous system complication that occurs in 3–5% of patients with cancer. Although most commonly seen in patients with disseminated disease, in a small percentage of patients, it may be the initial manifestation of cancer or even primitive in origin. In the absence of cancer history, the diagnosis of neoplastic meningitis may be challenging even for expert neurologists. Prognosis is poor, with a median overall survival of weeks from diagnosis. In the retrospective study herein, we described three cases of meningeal melanomatosis in patients without previous cancer history. The patients were diagnosed with significant delay (17 to 47 weeks from symptom onset) mainly due to the deferral in performing the appropriate testing. Even when the diagnosis was suspected, investigations by MRI, cerebrospinal fluid, or both proved at times unhelpful for confirmation. Prognosis was dismal, with a median survival of 4 weeks after diagnosis. Our observations are a cue to analyze the main pitfalls in the diagnosis of neoplastic meningitis in patients without cancer history and emphasize key elements that may facilitate early diagnosis