Narrative review of tissue-mimicking materials for MRI phantoms: Composition, fabrication, and relaxation properties.

Introduction: Tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs) are now essential reference objects for quality control, development and training in all medical imaging modalities. This review aims to provide a comprehensive synthesis of materials used in the fabrication of TMMs for MRI phantoms, focusing on their composition, fabrication methods, and relaxation properties (T1 and T2).

Methods: A systematic review was conducted, covering articles published between 1980 and 2023.

Ventilation strategies in cardiogenic shock: insights from the FRENSHOCK observational registry.

Background: Despite scarce data, invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) is widely suggested as first-line ventilatory support in cardiogenic shock (CS) patients. We assessed the real-life use of different ventilation strategies in CS and their influence on short and mid-term prognosis.

Methods: FRENSHOCK was a prospective registry including 772 CS patients from 49 centers in France.

[How to read new antimicrobial susceptibility testing results?].

HOW TO READ NEW ANTIMICROBIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING RESULTS? Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) results (formerly 'susceptible', 'intermediate' and 'resistant') are now expressed with the new susceptibility categories 'susceptible, standard dosing regimen', 'susceptible, increased exposure' and 'resistant'. These new categories introduce a paradigm shift in the way clinicians have to interpret AST results: uncertainties (previously embedded in the 'intermediate' category) now have to be dealt with exclusively by the laboratory, independently from the clinical categorization itself, and both 'susceptible, standard dosing regimen' and 'susceptible, increased exposure' categories are associated with a high likelihood of therapeutic success if appropriate dosing regimen is used. To help clinicians, a dosing table (fitting dosing regimens usually recommended in France, and consistent with clinical breakpoints) is now available as an appendix to the CA-SFM document (Comité de l'antibiogramme de la Société française de microbiologie), and can also be downloaded from the SPILF website (Société de pathologie infectieuse de langue française).

High-fidelity anatomical phantoms for MRI practical training.

Introduction: Practical MRI training is essential for bridging the gap between complex theoretical knowledge and clinical applications. Traditional phantoms used in MRI, such as ACR phantoms, are valuable for illustrating system characterization methods but often lack the anatomical complexity required for realistic training. This study presents the development of high-fidelity anatomical phantoms designed specifically for practical MRI training.

Prognostic Impact of Statins in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction.

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (pEF) has lacked effective treatments for reducing mortality. However, previous studies have found an association between statin use and decreased mortality in patients with HFpEF. The aim of this study was to analyse whether statin therapy is associated with a reduction in mortality in these patients and whether the effect differs according to the presence or absence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD).

Dual detection of Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Anaplasma phagocytophilum: How biplex PCR led in France to the diagnosis of neoehrlichiosis in post-tick bite fever.

Objectives: Neoehrlichia mikurensis (NM) is an emerging intracellular bacterium member of the Anaplasmatacecae family. So far, only four cases have been described in France, all of them retrospectively.

Methods: This study describes two new cases of NM discovered following implementation of a biplex PCR targeting both Anaplasma and NM.

Assessing traditional medicine in the treatment of neurological disorders in Mali: prelude to efficient collaboration.

Introduction: Neurological disorders (ND) have a high incidence in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In this region, systemic challenges of conventional medicine (CM) and cultural beliefs have contributed to a large utilization of traditional medicine (TM). Yet, data on TM and those who use it in the treatment of ND in SSA are scarce.

Retropharyngeal haematoma with subtotal upper airway obstruction after puncture attempt: a case report.

Mechanical complications during central catheterisation occur in approximately 15% of cases. This report describes a potentially fatal yet avoidable complication and highlights the typical radiological features of a retropharyngeal haematoma.A patient with acute myeloid leukaemia was admitted to the intensive care unit with respiratory distress immediately after an attempt to insert a subclavian catheter without ultrasound guidance.

[Cerebromeningeal amyloid angiopathy].

Amyloid angiopathy represents 20% of causes of intraparenchymal hematoma. The histopathological examination must carefully look for characteristic vascular abnormalities and the immunohistochemistry for the βA4 peptide must be carried out systematically. In practice, the evacuation products of an intracerebral hematoma must be fully included, because the lesions may be focal.

Immunopathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus: An update.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by dysregulated immune responses leading to widespread inflammation and damage in various organs. Environmental factors such as infections, hormonal influences and exposure to ultraviolet light can trigger the disease in genetically predisposed individuals. Genome-wide association studies have identified over 100 susceptibility loci linked to immune regulation, interferon (IFN) signaling and antigen presentation in SLE.

[Embryo reduction in twin pregnancy on maternal request: A French practice study].

Introduction: In France, embryo reduction is controversial in twin pregnancy, especially when there is no underlying pathology. The objective of this study was to establish the status of this practice in France and to depict the ethical issues around this problematic.

Study Design: A questionnaire drafted by Maternal and Fetal Medicine physicians and family planning teams of the University Hospital from Strasbourg was distributed to the 48 French Multidisciplinary Prenatal Diagnosis Centers, among which 28 answered (58,3%).