Differences in spatiotemporal brain network dynamics of Montessori and traditionally schooled students.

Across development, experience has a strong impact on the way we think and adapt. School experience affects academic and social-emotional outcomes, yet whether differences in pedagogical experience modulate underlying brain network development is still unknown. In this study, we compared the brain network dynamics of students with different pedagogical backgrounds. Specifically, we characterized the diversity and stability of brain activity at rest by combining both resting-state fMRI and diffusion-weighted structural imaging data of 87 4-18 years old students experiencing either the Montessori pedagogy (i.e., student-led, trial-and-error pedagogy) or the traditional pedagogy (i.e., teacher-led, test-based pedagogy). Our results revealed spatiotemporal brain dynamics differences between students as a function of schooling experience at the whole-brain level. Students from Montessori schools showed overall higher functional integration (higher system diversity) and neural stability (lower spatiotemporal diversity) compared to traditionally schooled students. Higher integration was explained mainly through the cerebellar (CBL) functional network. In contrast, higher temporal stability was observed in the ventral attention, dorsal attention, somatomotor, frontoparietal, and CBL functional networks. This study suggests a form of experience-dependent dynamic functional connectivity plasticity, in learning-related networks.

Normative volumes and relaxation times at 3T during brain development.

While research has unveiled and quantified brain markers of abnormal neurodevelopment, clinicians still work with qualitative metrics for MRI brain investigation. The purpose of the current article is to bridge the knowledge gap between case-control cohort studies and individual patient care. Here, we provide a unique dataset of seventy-three 3-to-17 years-old healthy subjects acquired with a 6-minute MRI protocol encompassing T1 and T2 relaxation quantitative sequence that can be readily implemented in the clinical setting; MP2RAGE for T1 mapping and the prototype sequence GRAPPATINI for T2 mapping. White matter and grey matter volumes were automatically quantified. We further provide normative developmental curves based on these two imaging sequences; T1, T2 and volume normative ranges with respect to age were computed, for each ROI of a pediatric brain atlas. This open-source dataset provides normative values allowing to position individual patients acquired with the same protocol on the brain maturation curve and as such provides potentially useful quantitative biomarkers facilitating precise and personalized care.

Quantitative T2 Mapping of Acute Pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Quantification of the T2 signal by means of T2 mapping in acute pancreatitis (AP) has the potential to quantify the parenchymal edema. Quantitative T2 mapping may overcome the limitations of previously reported scoring systems for reliable assessment of AP. PURPOSE: To evaluate MR-derived pancreatic T2 mapping values in AP and correlate them with markers of disease severity. STUDY TYPE: Prospective single-center study. POPULATION: 76 adults with AP (20-91 years, females/males: 39/37). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Fat suppressed multiecho spin-echo prototype sequence to quantify T2 signal at 3T MRI. ASSESSMENT: The severity of AP was assessed clinically, biologically, and by contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) performed 48-72 hours after symptom onset. MRI was then performed ≤24 hours after CT. Two readers blinded to any clinical information independently evaluated the T2 values by placing three regions of interest inside the pancreatic head, body, and tail on the T2 mapping MR sequence. Results were compared with corresponding CECT images as the standard and clinical severity parameters, using the length of hospital stay as our primary endpoint. STATISTICAL TESTS: Continuous variables were compared using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, analysis of variance (ANOVA) or Student's t-test. RESULTS: T2 values significantly correlated with the length of hospital stay (rs (74) = 0.29), CT severity index (CTSI) (rs (73) = 0.61; CTSI 0-3: 72 ± 14 msec, CTSI 4-10: 88 ± 15), intensive care unit (ICU) admission (t(2.77) = -3.41) and presence of organ failure (t(6.72) = -3.42), whereas the CTSI and Ranson score were not significantly related with ICU admission (CTSI: P = 0.24; Ranson score: P = 0.24) and organ failure (CTSI: P = 0.11; Ranson score P = 0.11). CONCLUSION: T2 mapping correlates with AP severity parameters and is useful for assessing the severity of AP with higher sensitivity than the usual clinical and radiological scoring systems. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Differential apicomplexan presence predicts thermal stress mortality in the Mediterranean coral Paramuricea clavata.

Paramuricea clavata is an ecosystem architect of the Mediterranean temperate reefs that is currently threatened by episodic mass mortality events related to global warming. The microbiome may play an active role in the thermal stress susceptibility of corals, potentially holding the answer as to why corals show differential sensitivity to heat stress. To investigate this, the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiome of P. clavata collected from around the Mediterranean was characterised before experimental heat stress to determine if its microbial composition influences the thermal response of the holobiont. We found that members of P. clavata's microeukaryotic community were significantly correlated with thermal stress sensitivity. Syndiniales from the Dino-Group I Clade 1 were significantly enriched in thermally resistant corals, while the apicomplexan corallicolids were significantly enriched in thermally susceptible corals. We hypothesise that P. clavata mortality following heat stress may be caused by a shift from apparent commensalism to parasitism in the corallicolid-coral host relationship driven by the added stress. Our results show the potential importance of corallicolids and the rest of the microeukaryotic community of corals to understanding thermal stress response in corals and provide a useful tool to guide conservation efforts and future research into coral-associated microeukaryotes.

Me, Myself, and I: Neural Activity for Self versus Other across Development.

Although adults and children differ in self-vs.-other perception, a developmental perspective on this discriminative ability at the brain level is missing. This study examined neural activation for self-vs.-other in a sample of 39 participants spanning four different age groups, from 4-year-olds to adults. Self-related stimuli elicited higher neural activity within two brain regions related to self-referential thinking, empathy, and social cognition processes. Second, stimuli related to 'others' (i.e., unknown peer) elicited activation within nine additional brain regions. These regions are associated with multisensory processing, somatosensory skills, language, complex visual stimuli, self-awareness, empathy, theory of mind, and social recognition. Overall, activation maps were gradually increasing with age. However, patterns of activity were non-linear within the medial cingulate cortex for 'self' stimuli and within the left middle temporal gyrus for 'other' stimuli in 7-10-year-old participants. In both cases, there were no self-vs.-other differences. It suggests a critical period where the perception of self and others are similarly processed. Furthermore, 11-19-year-old participants showed no differences between others and self within the left inferior orbital gyrus, suggesting less distinction between self and others in social learning. Understanding the neural bases of self-vs.-other discrimination during development can offer valuable insights into how social contexts can influence learning processes during development, such as when to introduce peer-to-peer teaching or group learning.

A spinal cord neuroprosthesis for locomotor deficits due to Parkinson's disease.

People with late-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) often suffer from debilitating locomotor deficits that are resistant to currently available therapies. To alleviate these deficits, we developed a neuroprosthesis operating in closed loop that targets the dorsal root entry zones innervating lumbosacral segments to reproduce the natural spatiotemporal activation of the lumbosacral spinal cord during walking. We first developed this neuroprosthesis in a non-human primate model that replicates locomotor deficits due to PD. This neuroprosthesis not only alleviated locomotor deficits but also restored skilled walking in this model. We then implanted the neuroprosthesis in a 62-year-old male with a 30-year history of PD who presented with severe gait impairments and frequent falls that were medically refractory to currently available therapies. We found that the neuroprosthesis interacted synergistically with deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and dopaminergic replacement therapies to alleviate asymmetry and promote longer steps, improve balance and reduce freezing of gait. This neuroprosthesis opens new perspectives to reduce the severity of locomotor deficits in people with PD.

Esophageal cancer T-staging on MRI: A preliminary study using cine and static MR sequences.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the added value of cine MR in addition to static MRI for T-Staging assessment of esophageal cancer (EC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective monocentric study included 54 patients (mean age 66.3 ± 9.4 years, 46 men) with histologically proven EC. They underwent MRI on a 3 T-scanner in addition to the standard workup. Acquisitions included static and cine sequences (steady-state-free-precession and real-time True-FISP during water ingestion). Three radiologists independently assessed T-staging and diagnosis confidence by reviewing (1) static sequences (S-MRI) and (2) adding cine sequences (SC-MRI). Inter-reader agreement was performed. MRI T-staging was correlated to reference standard T-staging (histopathology or consensus on endoscopic ultrasonography and imaging findings) and to clinical outcome by log-rank test. RESULTS: Both S-MRI and SC-MRI T-staging showed a significant correlation with reference T-staging (rs = 0.667, P < 0.001). SC-MRI showed a slightly better performance in distinguishing T1-T3 from T4 with a sensitivity, specificity and AUC of 76.5% (95% CI: 50.1-93.2), 83.8% (68-93.8) and 0.801 (0.681-0.921) vs 70.6% (44-89.7), 83% (68-93.8) and 0.772 (0.645-0.899) for S-MRI. Compared to S-MRI, SC-MRI increased inter-reader agreement for T4a and T4b (κ = 0.403 and 0.498) and T-staging confidence. CONCLUSION: MRI is accurate for T-staging of EC. The addition of cine sequences allows better differentiation between T1-T3 and T4 tumors with increased diagnostic confidence and inter-reader agreement.

Improved accuracy and precision of fat-suppressed isotropic 3D T2 mapping MRI of the knee with dictionary fitting and patch-based denoising.

PURPOSE: To develop an isotropic three-dimensional (3D) T2 mapping technique for the quantitative assessment of the composition of knee cartilage with high accuracy and precision. METHODS: A T2-prepared water-selective isotropic 3D gradient-echo pulse sequence was used to generate four images at 3 T. These were used for three T2 map reconstructions: standard images with an analytical T2 fit (AnT2Fit); standard images with a dictionary-based T2 fit (DictT2Fit); and patch-based-denoised images with a dictionary-based T2 fit (DenDictT2Fit). The accuracy of the three techniques was first optimized in a phantom study against spin-echo imaging, after which knee cartilage T2 values and coefficients of variation (CoV) were assessed in ten subjects in order to establish accuracy and precision in vivo. Data given as mean ± standard deviation. RESULTS: After optimization in the phantom, whole-knee cartilage T2 values of the healthy volunteers were 26.6 ± 1.6 ms (AnT2Fit), 42.8 ± 1.8 ms (DictT2Fit, p < 0.001 versus AnT2Fit), and 40.4 ± 1.7 ms (DenDictT2Fit, p = 0.009 versus DictT2Fit). The whole-knee T2 CoV reduced from 51.5% ± 5.6% to 30.5 ± 2.4 and finally to 13.1 ± 1.3%, respectively (p < 0.001 between all). The DictT2Fit improved the data reconstruction time: 48.7 ± 11.3 min (AnT2Fit) versus 7.3 ± 0.7 min (DictT2Fit, p < 0.001). Very small focal lesions were observed in maps generated with DenDictT2Fit. CONCLUSIONS: Improved accuracy and precision for isotropic 3D T2 mapping of knee cartilage were demonstrated by using patch-based image denoising and dictionary-based reconstruction. KEY POINTS: • Dictionary T2 fitting improves the accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) knee T2 mapping. • Patch-based denoising results in high precision in 3D knee T2 mapping. • Isotropic 3D knee T2 mapping enables the visualization of small anatomical details.

Morphological assessment of cartilage and osteoarthritis in clinical practice and research: Intermediate-weighted fat-suppressed sequences and beyond.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely regarded as the primary modality for the morphological assessment of cartilage and all other joint tissues involved in osteoarthritis. 2D fast spin echo fat-suppressed intermediate-weighted (FSE FS IW) sequences with a TE between 30 and 40ms have stood the test of time and are considered the cornerstone of MRI protocols for clinical practice and trials. These sequences offer a good balance between sensitivity and specificity and provide appropriate contrast and signal within the cartilage as well as between cartilage, articular fluid, and subchondral bone. Additionally, FS IW sequences enable the evaluation of menisci, ligaments, synovitis/effusion, and bone marrow edema-like signal changes. This review article provides a rationale for the use of FSE FS IW sequences in the morphological assessment of cartilage and osteoarthritis, along with a brief overview of other clinically available sequences for this indication. Additionally, the article highlights ongoing research efforts aimed at improving FSE FS IW sequences through 3D acquisitions with enhanced resolution, shortened examination times, and exploring the potential benefits of different magnetic field strengths. While most of the literature on cartilage imaging focuses on the knee, the concepts presented here are applicable to all joints. KEY POINTS: 1. MRI is currently considered the modality of reference for a "whole-joint" morphological assessment of osteoarthritis. 2. Fat-suppressed intermediate-weighted sequences remain the keystone of MRI protocols for the assessment of cartilage morphology, as well as other structures involved in osteoarthritis. 3. Trends for further development in the field of cartilage and joint imaging include 3D FSE imaging, faster acquisition including AI-based acceleration, and synthetic imaging providing multi-contrast sequences.

Creative thinking and brain network development in schoolchildren.

Fostering creative minds has always been a premise to ensure adaptation to new challenges of human civilization. While some alternative educational settings (i.e., Montessori) were shown to nurture creative skills, it is unknown how they impact underlying brain mechanisms across the school years. This study assessed creative thinking and resting-state functional connectivity via fMRI in 75 children (4-18 y.o.) enrolled either in Montessori or traditional schools. We found that pedagogy significantly influenced creative performance and underlying brain networks. Replicating past work, Montessori-schooled children showed higher scores on creative thinking tests. Using static functional connectivity analysis, we found that Montessori-schooled children showed decreased within-network functional connectivity of the salience network. Moreover, using dynamic functional connectivity, we found that traditionally-schooled children spent more time in a brain state characterized by high intra-default mode network connectivity. These findings suggest that pedagogy may influence brain networks relevant to creative thinking-particularly the default and salience networks. Further research is needed, like a longitudinal study, to verify these results given the implications for educational practitioners. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWV_5o8wB5g . RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Most executive jobs are prospected to be obsolete within several decades, so creative skills are seen as essential for the near future. School experience has been shown to play a role in creativity development, however, the underlying brain mechanisms remained under-investigated yet. Seventy-five 4-18 years-old children, from Montessori or traditional schools, performed a creativity task at the behavioral level, and a 6-min resting-state MR scan. We uniquely report preliminary evidence for the impact of pedagogy on functional brain networks.

Not out of the Mediterranean: Atlantic populations of the gorgonian Paramuricea clavata are a separate sister species under further lineage diversification.

The accurate delimitation of species boundaries in nonbilaterian marine taxa is notoriously difficult, with consequences for many studies in ecology and evolution. Anthozoans are a diverse group of key structural organisms worldwide, but the lack of reliable morphological characters and informative genetic markers hampers our ability to understand species diversification. We investigated population differentiation and species limits in Atlantic (Iberian Peninsula) and Mediterranean lineages of the octocoral genus Paramuricea previously identified as P. clavata. We used a diverse set of molecular markers (microsatellites, RNA-seq derived single-copy orthologues [SCO] and mt-mutS [mitochondrial barcode]) at 49 locations. Clear segregation of Atlantic and Mediterranean lineages was found with all markers. Species-tree estimations based on SCO strongly supported these two clades as distinct, recently diverged sister species with incomplete lineage sorting, P. cf. grayi and P. clavata, respectively. Furthermore, a second putative (or ongoing) speciation event was detected in the Atlantic between two P. cf. grayi color morphotypes (yellow and purple) using SCO and supported by microsatellites. While segregating P. cf. grayi lineages showed considerable geographic structure, dominating circalittoral communities in southern (yellow) and western (purple) Portugal, their occurrence in sympatry at some localities suggests a degree of reproductive isolation. Overall, our results show that previous molecular and morphological studies have underestimated species diversity in Paramuricea occurring in the Iberian Peninsula, which has important implications for conservation planning. Finally, our findings validate the usefulness of phylotranscriptomics for resolving evolutionary relationships in octocorals.

New Insights into Boxer's Knuckle Injury of the Little Finger.

BACKGROUND: The original description of boxer's knuckle injury of the fifth ray mentions that the injury occurs between the extensor digitorum communis (EDC) and the extensor digiti minimi (EDM). Subsequent reports claim similar findings. Anatomical studies show that the EDC of the fifth ray is absent in most patients, while the EDM is generally composed of two slips. We present a modification of the current description of boxer's knuckle injury of the little finger based on the correlation between advanced preoperative 3D imaging and intraoperative findings. METHODS: Five patients were investigated preoperatively using high-resolution ultrasound and 3D tendon reconstruction-based MR arthrography. Surgical exploration identified the lesion site relative to the EDM and EDC. RESULTS: All patients had two slips of the EDM and no EDC to the fifth ray. The injury appeared as a longitudinal tear of the EDM between its two slips. The mean gap was 7.8 mm (range 4.5-10 mm) on the pathological side vs. 1.3 mm (range 1-2 mm) on the healthy contralateral side. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that previous descriptions of boxer's knuckle of the fifth ray are inaccurate. High-resolution ultrasound and 3D reconstructions based on MR arthrography are reliable diagnostic tools allowing to locate the injury with precision.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the branching octocoral Paramuricea grayi (Johnson, 1861), phylogenetic relationships and divergence analysis.

The Gray's sea fan, Paramuricea grayi (Johnson, 1861), typically inhabits deep littoral and circalittoral habitats of the eastern temperate and tropical Atlantic Ocean. Along the Iberian Peninsula, where P. grayi is a dominant constituent of circalittoral coral gardens, two segregating lineages (yellow and purple morphotypes) were recently identified using single-copy nuclear orthologues. The mitochondrial genomes of 9 P. grayi individuals covering both color morphotypes were assembled from RNA-seq data, using samples collected at three sites in southern (Sagres and Tavira) and western (Cape Espichel) Portugal. The complete circular mitogenome is 18,668 bp in length, has an A + T-rich base composition (62.5%) and contains the 17 genes typically found in Octocorallia: 14 protein-coding genes (atp6, atp8, cob, cox1-3, mt-mutS, nad1-6, and nad4L), the small and large subunit rRNAs (rns and rnl), and one transfer RNA (trnM). The mitogenomes were nearly identical for all specimens, though we identified a noteworthy polymorphism (two SNPs 9 bp apart) in the mt-mutS of one purple individual that is shared with the sister species P. clavata. The mitogenomes of the two species have a pairwise sequence identity of 99.0%, with nad6 and mt-mutS having the highest rates of non-synonymous substitutions.

Marine heatwaves drive recurrent mass mortalities in the Mediterranean Sea.

Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves (MHWs) and mass mortality events (MMEs) of marine organisms are one of their main ecological impacts. Here, we show that during the 2015-2019 period, the Mediterranean Sea has experienced exceptional thermal conditions resulting in the onset of five consecutive years of widespread MMEs across the basin. These MMEs affected thousands of kilometers of coastline from the surface to 45 m, across a range of marine habitats and taxa (50 taxa across 8 phyla). Significant relationships were found between the incidence of MMEs and the heat exposure associated with MHWs observed both at the surface and across depths. Our findings reveal that the Mediterranean Sea is experiencing an acceleration of the ecological impacts of MHWs which poses an unprecedented threat to its ecosystems' health and functioning. Overall, we show that increasing the resolution of empirical observation is critical to enhancing our ability to more effectively understand and manage the consequences of climate change.

Comparison Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography in the Detection and Volumetric Assessment of Lung Nodules: A Prospective Study.

Rationale and Objectives: Computed tomography (CT) lung nodule assessment is routinely performed and appears very promising for lung cancer screening. However, the radiation exposure through time remains a concern. With the overall goal of an optimal management of indeterminate lung nodules, the objective of this prospective study was therefore to evaluate the potential of optimized ultra-short echo time (UTE) MRI for lung nodule detection and volumetric assessment. Materials and Methods: Eight (54.9 ± 13.2 years) patients with at least 1 non-calcified nodule ≥4 mm were included. UTE under high-frequency non-invasive ventilation (UTE-HF-NIV) and in free-breathing at tidal volume (UTE-FB) were investigated along with volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination at full inspiration (VIBE-BH). Three experienced readers assessed the detection rate of nodules ≥4 mm and ≥6 mm, and reported their location, 2D-measurements and solid/subsolid nature. Volumes were measured by two experienced readers. Subsequently, two readers assessed the detection and volume measurements of lung nodules ≥4mm in gold-standard CT images with soft and lung kernel reconstructions. Volumetry was performed with lesion management software (Carestream, Rochester, New York, USA). Results: UTE-HF-NIV provided the highest detection rate for nodules ≥4 mm (n = 66) and ≥6 mm (n = 32) (35 and 50%, respectively). No dependencies were found between nodule detection and their location in the lung with UTE-HF-NIV (p > 0.4), such a dependency was observed for two readers with VIBE-BH (p = 0.002 and 0.03). Dependencies between the nodule's detection and their size were noticed among readers and techniques (p < 0.02). When comparing nodule volume measurements, an excellent concordance was observed between CT and UTE-HF-NIV, with an overestimation of 13.2% by UTE-HF-NIV, <25%-threshold used for nodule's growth, conversely to VIBE-BH that overestimated the nodule volume by 28.8%. Conclusion: UTE-HF-NIV is not ready to replace low-dose CT for lung nodule detection, but could be used for follow-up studies, alternating with CT, based on its volumetric accuracy.

A Fetal Brain magnetic resonance Acquisition Numerical phantom (FaBiAN).

Accurate characterization of in utero human brain maturation is critical as it involves complex and interconnected structural and functional processes that may influence health later in life. Magnetic resonance imaging is a powerful tool to investigate equivocal neurological patterns during fetal development. However, the number of acquisitions of satisfactory quality available in this cohort of sensitive subjects remains scarce, thus hindering the validation of advanced image processing techniques. Numerical phantoms can mitigate these limitations by providing a controlled environment with a known ground truth. In this work, we present FaBiAN, an open-source Fetal Brain magnetic resonance Acquisition Numerical phantom that simulates clinical T2-weighted fast spin echo sequences of the fetal brain. This unique tool is based on a general, flexible and realistic setup that includes stochastic fetal movements, thus providing images of the fetal brain throughout maturation comparable to clinical acquisitions. We demonstrate its value to evaluate the robustness and optimize the accuracy of an algorithm for super-resolution fetal brain magnetic resonance imaging from simulated motion-corrupted 2D low-resolution series compared to a synthetic high-resolution reference volume. We also show that the images generated can complement clinical datasets to support data-intensive deep learning methods for fetal brain tissue segmentation.

Activity-dependent spinal cord neuromodulation rapidly restores trunk and leg motor functions after complete paralysis.

Epidural electrical stimulation (EES) targeting the dorsal roots of lumbosacral segments restores walking in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, EES is delivered with multielectrode paddle leads that were originally designed to target the dorsal column of the spinal cord. Here, we hypothesized that an arrangement of electrodes targeting the ensemble of dorsal roots involved in leg and trunk movements would result in superior efficacy, restoring more diverse motor activities after the most severe SCI. To test this hypothesis, we established a computational framework that informed the optimal arrangement of electrodes on a new paddle lead and guided its neurosurgical positioning. We also developed software supporting the rapid configuration of activity-specific stimulation programs that reproduced the natural activation of motor neurons underlying each activity. We tested these neurotechnologies in three individuals with complete sensorimotor paralysis as part of an ongoing clinical trial ( www.clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02936453). Within a single day, activity-specific stimulation programs enabled these three individuals to stand, walk, cycle, swim and control trunk movements. Neurorehabilitation mediated sufficient improvement to restore these activities in community settings, opening a realistic path to support everyday mobility with EES in people with SCI.

Diagnosis of ulnar nerve entrapment anterior to the medial epicondyle by ultrasound elastography and diffusion tensor imaging with fiber tractography: a case report.

Ulnar/cubital tunnel syndrome is the second most common compressive neuropathy of the upper limb. Permanent location of the ulnar nerve anterior to the medial epicondyle is extremely rare, with only five cases reported in the literature. Using ultrasound elastography and diffusion tensor imaging with fiber tractography, we diagnosed a case in which ulnar nerve entrapment was associated with anterior nerve location. Surgical release confirmed the diagnosis and the patient was symptom free 3 months after surgery.

Abbreviated MRI for Preoperative Assessment of Breast Cancer: is Maximal Intensity Projection (MIP) of the First Post Contrast Acquisition Subtracted (Fast) Sequence Sufficient for Disease Evaluation?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of abbreviated MRI (AMRI) using the maximal intensity projection (MIP) reconstruction of the first post-contrast acquisition subtracted (FAST) compared with MIP+FAST and full-protocol MRI (fpMRI) for the preoperative assessment of breast cancer (BC) in a biopsy-proven cancer population. Methods: In this monocentric retrospective study, two readers consensually assessed two AMRI protocols consisting of MIP reconstruction of the FAST (MIP) and MIP+FAST. 228 patients were included with a breast MRI performed between 2013 and 2014, 207 of them (90.8%) had biopsy-proven cancer with 256 lesions. Data of MIP and MIP+FAST were compared to full-protocol MRI (fpMRI) reading and to the reference standard including 6-month follow-up imaging and pathology as the reference. Results: MIP, MIP+FAST and fpMRI demonstrated a per-lesion sensitivity for BC detection of 87.5% (224/256, 95%CI: 82.9-91.3%) and 97.7% (250/256, 95-99.1%) and 98.4% (252/256, 96.1-99.6%), respectively with a statistical difference between MIP compared to MIP+FAST and fpMRI when considering confidence intervals. Per-lesion specificity was not different [MIP: 47.6% (10/21, 25.7-70.2%), MIP+FAST: 52.4% (11/21,29.8-74.3%, fpMRI: 66.7% (14/21, 43-85.4%)]. Conclusion: AMRI using only MIP is not accurate for the pre-operative assessment of BC due to lower sensitivity when compared to MIP+FAST and fpMRI. AMRI using the MIP+FAST acquisition in the preoperative setting seems promising as it could be used as the same protocol for both screening and staging in case of positive cases, without need for a recall fpMRI. This needs confirmation with cohort including higher rate of negative cases in order to evaluate the specificity.

Climate change transforms the functional identity of Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages.

Quantifying changes in functional community structure driven by disturbance is critical to anticipate potential shifts in ecosystem functioning. However, how marine heatwaves (MHWs) affect the functional structure of temperate coral-dominated communities is poorly understood. Here, we used five long-term (> 10 years) records of Mediterranean coralligenous assemblages in a multi-taxa, trait-based analysis to investigate MHW-driven changes in functional structure. We show that, despite stability in functional richness (i.e. the range of species functional traits), MHW-impacted assemblages experienced long-term directional changes in functional identity (i.e. their dominant trait values). Declining traits included large sizes, long lifespans, arborescent morphologies, filter-feeding strategies or calcified skeletons. These traits, which were mostly supported by few sensitive and irreplaceable species from a single functional group (habitat-forming octocorals), disproportionally influence certain ecosystem functions (e.g. 3D-habitat provision). Hence, MHWs are leading to assemblages that are deficient in key functional traits, with likely consequences for the ecosystem functioning.