[Characteristics of patients admitted from emergency units in 18 internal medicine departments and organisation of these departments: A cross sectional study from SNFMI (SiFMI study group) in 2015]. / Caractéristiques des patients admis en médecine interne dans 18 hôpitaux français en aval des urgences et organisation de ces services : enquête transversale de la SNFMI (groupe d'étude SiFMI) en 2015.

INTRODUCTION: Patients admitted from emergency units represent a large portion of the population in internal medicine departments. The aim of this study is to identify characteristics of patients and organization of these departments. METHODS: Between June 29th and July 26th 2015, voluntary internal medicine departments from the SiFMI group prospectively filled anonymized internet forms to collect data of each patients admitted in their ward from emergency units, during seven consecutive days. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-five patients from emergency departments were admitted in 18 internal medicine inpatients departments, totalling 1100 beds and 33,530 annual stays, 56% of them for emergency units inpatients. Mean age was 68 years, 54% were women, mean Charlson score was 2.6 and 44% of the patients took at least three drugs. Main causes of hospitalization were infectious (29%) and neurological (17%) diseases. Mean length of stay was 9.2 days. The medical team was composed by a median value of 4,5 [2,75-6,25] senior full-time equivalents, 86% were internists. Each department except one received residents, two third of them were from general medicine. CONCLUSION: This study highlights a high organizational variability among internal medicine departments and patients, and sets internal medicine as a specialty with a great capacity to achieve an integrative/comprehensive management of patients and to offer a comprehensive basis for physicians in training.

An improved detection method for the Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV) allows monitoring of its presence in aphids and movement within plants.

Rhopalosiphum padi virus (RhPV) is an insect RNA virus that infects aphids, reducing their lifespan and fecundity. It can be transmitted vertically between aphids and horizontally via the plant. An improved detection method for the virus in aphids and plants using RT-PCR was developed; this allowed individual aphids to be tested for RhPV. Testing of R. padi aphids collected from different sites in Sweden revealed the presence of RhPV in wild aphid populations for the first time in Europe. Virus could be detected in several life stages of R. padi, including sexual individuals and eggs, establishing an over-wintering route for the virus. Using RT-PCR, systemic transport of the virus in plants was tracked. Virus spread from the aphid feeding site to all parts of the plant, including roots, within 7 days, and could be acquired by virus-free aphids feeding on the same plant.

Origin of subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid pulsations: a phase-contrast MR analysis.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pulsations result from change of blood volume in the closed craniospinal cavity. We used cine phase contrast MR analysis to determine whether spinal CSF pulsations result from spinal vascular pulsations or intracranial subarachnoid pulsations, whether intracranial CSF pulsations result from intracranial large arteries pulsations or cerebrovascular bed changes. We performed a quantified physiological mapping of CSF velocity waveforms along the craniospinal axis. Thirty-six volunteers participated in the study. MR acquisitions were obtained at the intracranial level, the upper, midcervical, cervicothoracic, mid thoracic, and/or the thoracolumbar levels. The temporal velocity information were plotted as wave form and key temporal parameters were determined and analyzed; intervals from the R wave to the onset of CSF systole, to CSF systolic peak, to the end of systole, as well as duration of systole. Three kinds of dynamic channels could be differentiated along the spinal axis, the lateral, medioventral and mediodorsal channels. Lateral spinal CSF pulse waves show significant craniocaudal propagation. No such significant progression was detected through the medial channels along the spine. Through the medial channels, a cephalic progression was observed from the upper cervical level to the intracranial level. At the craniocervical junction, mediodorsal CSF systole appeared the earliest one whereas in the anterior intracranial basal cistern, CSF systole appeared delayed. In conclusion, spinal CSF pulsations seem to result mainly from intracranial pulsations in the lateral channels, whereas local vascular pulsations could modify CSF pulse wave mainly in the medial channels. At the craniocervical junction, our results suggest that blood volume change in the richly vascularised cerebellar tonsils is the main initiating factor of CSF systole; and that spinal vascular pulsations could be considered as an additional early and variable CSF pump.