Application of the lateral angle method for sex determination of cremated individuals from burials of the Lusatian culture cemetery in Czernikowice, Poland

Research of cremated human remains are limited by severe analytical constraints. Estimation of basic anthropological parameters such as sex of individuals or their age at death is often uncertain. A method for assessing the sex of cremated individuals measures the lateral angle of the petrous part (PP) of the temporal bone, known as the lateral angle (LA) method.In the cemetery of the Lusatian culture in Czernikowice (51.317389°N, 15.871469°E), 6 well-preserved PP were identified. The analyzed PP belonged to 6 different individuals: 3 adults and 3 children. Based on standard anthropological methods, sex was estimated for adults individuals: 2 males and 1 female. The identified PP served as the basis for application of the LA method. The bones were scanned by computed tomography (CT) and the tomographic imaging allowed measurement of the lateral angle.The absolute values of intra-observer errors did not exceed 1°. Relative technical errors of measurements (rTEM) fell in the range below 5%, which is indicative of their high precision. Individuals for which the LA value was greater than or equal to 45.0° were qualified as females and those for which it was less than 45.0° – as males. The LA values for female individuals ranged from 48.0 to 49.1°, (average 48.5±0.78°, median 48.4°) and for male individuals were in the range of 24.9-37.5° (average 33.4±5.80°, median 35.5°). The absolute difference between the average values for female and male individuals was considerable (15.1°) and statistically significant (p < 0.001).The LA method provides good reliability of measurements when it comes to this analysis with regard to cremated osteological material, and the use of non-invasive CT enhances its value in the context of archaeological remains. However, its capability for sexing subadult individuals should be approached with caution and requires further research

Zastosowanie obrazowania dyfuzji rezonansu magnetycznego (DWI) w różnicowaniu świeżych i przewlekłych zmian niedokrwiennych - opis przypadku

Wstęp. Obrazowanie rezonansu magnetycznego (MR, magnetic resonance) zależne od dyfuzji (DWI, diffusion-weighted imaging), w sposób nieinwazyjny i bezpieczny, z wykorzystaniem zjawiska ograniczonej dyfuzji cząsteczek wody, umożliwia bardzo wczesne (nawet w ciągu kilkunastu minut) rozpoznanie zmian niedokrwiennych mózgowia. Opis przypadku. Pacjent w wieku 81 lat, bez istotnej neurologicznej przeszłości chorobowej, trafił do szpitala z powodu nagłego wystąpienia niedowładu prawej kończyny górnej i afazji. W rutynowym badaniu tomograficznym głowy wykazano jedynie obecność przewlekłych zmian niedokrwiennych o charakterze leukoarajozy. Następnego dnia wykonano badanie MR, wraz z dyfuzją MR, która uwidoczniła świeże zmiany niedokrwienne. Wnioski. Obrazowanie dyfuzyjne rezonansu magnetycznego umożliwia wykrycie świeżych ognisk niedokrwiennych u pacjentów z zaawansowanymi, przewlekłymi zmianami naczyniopochodnymi mózgowia o charakterze leukoarajozy

Triple-phase abdomen and pelvis computed tomography : standard unenhanced phase can be replaced with reduced-dose scan

Purpose: The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that unenhanced phase does not require as high image quality as subsequent phases acquired after contrast administration in triple-phase abdomen and pelvis computed tomography (CT), and to assess if attenuation value (AV) measurements may be obtained from unenhanced images acquired with three-fold reduced radiation dose. Material and methods: In the standard triple-phase abdomen and pelvis CT protocol (unenhanced, late arterial, and portal venous phase) we decreased the tube current time product only in the unenhanced phase. Arterial and venous phases were performed with the standard scanner settings used in our Institution for routine abdomen and pelvis CT. We compared the AV in manually drawn circular-shaped regions of interest (ROIs) obtained from reduced-dose and standard-dose unenhanced images in 52 patients. All ROIs were set in homogeneous parts of psoas muscle, fat tissue, liver, spleen, aorta, and bladder. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in AV measurements for all considered areas. More noise does not alter the mean AV inside the ROIs. Radiation dose of unenhanced scans was reduced three times and the total dose length product (DLP) in the triple-phase study was decreased by 22%. Conclusions: Unenhanced images performed with three-fold reduced radiation dose allows reliable AV measurements. The unenhanced phase does not require as high image quality as subsequent phases acquired after contrast administration

Przetoka oponowa tętniczo-żylna rdzenia kręgowego

Przetoka oponowa tętniczo-żylna rdzenia kręgowego (SDAVF,spinal dural arteriovenous fi stula) jest rzadkim schorzeniem,rozpoznawanym głównie u mężczyzn w 5.–6. dekadzie życia.Klinicznie najczęściej objawia się stopniowo narastającym osłabieniemsiły mięśniowej kończyn z towarzyszącym upośledzeniemsprawności chodu, parestezjami oraz zaburzeniami oddawaniamoczu. Podłożem przetoki oponowej jest postępująca mielopatia,wtórna do zastoju krążenia krwi w obrębie rdzenia kręgowego.Jedynym sposobem zatrzymania postępu objawów schorzeniajest zabieg operacyjny lub wewnątrznaczyniowe zamknięcieprzetoki oponowej.Autorzy przedstawili opis przypadku 53-letniej kobiety z niewielkimosłabieniem lewej kończyny dolnej i towarzyszącymi parestezjamio nagłym początku. W badaniach neuroobrazowych u tej chorejstwierdzono obecność SDAVF na wysokości trzonów kręgowychTh5–Th6. Pacjentkę zakwalifi kowano do zabiegu wewnątrznaczyniowegozamknięcia przetoki, po którym uzyskano ustąpienieobjawów klinicznych

Metastatic pulmonary calcification as a rare complication of end-stage renal disease with coexistence of pulmonary metastases from renal cell carcinoma : case report and literature review

Purpose: We present a case of metastatic pulmonary calcification (MCP) in an asymptomatic patient with chronic kidney disease after renal transplantation and nephrectomy due to renal cancer. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed bilateral, diffuse, centrilobular ground-glass opacities and heterogeneous, high-density areas distributed throughout the lungs, predominantly in the upper and middle lobes. Unusually, in our patient the metastatic calcification coexisted with pulmonary metastases from renal cell carcinoma associated with end-stage renal disease. To our knowledge, such coexistence has not been previously described. Case report: CT, particularly high-resolution chest computed tomography (HRCT), plays an important role in detection and follow-up of MPC findings, which include ground-glass opacities and partially calcified nodules or consolidations, predominantly in the upper lung zones. Correct diagnosis is important because misdiagnosis may lead to improper or unnecessary treatment and/or procedures. Conclusions: MPC is a rare condition that results from calcium deposition in the normal pulmonary parenchyma. MPC commonly occurs in patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease due to abnormalities in calcium and phosphate metabolism. It is worth pointing out that despite the fact that the condition is called metastatic, it is a relatively benign lung disease with a generally good long-term prognosis

Postępowanie o udzielenie zamówienia publicznego w procesie współdziałania podmiotów publicznych i prywatnych w sferze gospodarki komunalnej

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROCEEDINGS IN THE PROCESS OF COOPERATION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES IN THE AREA OF MUNICIPAL SERVICESCooperation of public and private entities in the sphere of municipal services may take the form of: commissioning private entities to perform construction works, provide supplies, services; delegating the exercise of the communal tasks. Selection of contractors to perform these tasks takes place within the framework of apublic contract, aimed at preserving the rules of fair competition, equal treatment of economic operators, which secures cooperation of public and private entities in this respect.PUBLIC PROCUREMENT PROCEEDINGS IN THE PROCESS OF COOPERATION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ENTITIES IN THE AREA OF MUNICIPAL SERVICESCooperation of public and private entities in the sphere of municipal services may take the form of: commissioning private entities to perform construction works, provide supplies, services; delegating the exercise of the communal tasks. Selection of contractors to perform these tasks takes place within the framework of apublic contract, aimed at preserving the rules of fair competition, equal treatment of economic operators, which secures cooperation of public and private entities in this respect