Usefulness of 3D transperineal ultrasound in severe stenosis of the anal canal : preliminary experience in four cases

Background Organic or functional anal canal stenoses are uncommon conditions that occur in the majority of cases as a consequence of anal diseases. A proper assessment is fundamental for decision making; however, proctological examination and endoanal ultrasound are often unfeasible or very difficult to perform even under local or general anesthesia. We therefore began to use 3D transperineal ultrasound to assess patients. The aim of this study was to compare the results of evacuation proctography and 3D transperineal ultrasound in patients with severe anal canal stenosis. Methods Four consecutive patients with high-grade anal canal stenosis were evaluated using both proctography and 3D transperineal ultrasound with a micro-convex transducer between March and June 2011.Results In all cases, 3D transperineal ultrasound provided detailed information on the length and level of stenosis and on the integrity of the anal sphincters. Conclusions Our preliminary experience suggests that 3D transperineal ultrasound makes it possible to plan optimal surgical treatment

Common incidental findings on sacroiliac joint MRI in children clinically suspected of juvenile spondyloarthritis

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of incidental findings on sacroiliac (SI) joint MRI in children clinically suspected of Juvenile Spondyloarthritis (JSpA). METHODS: In this retrospective multi-center study of 540 children clinically suspected of JSpA who underwent MRI of SI joints from February 2012 to May 2018, the prevalence of sacroiliitis and other incidental findings was recorded. RESULTS: In 106/540 (20 %) children MRI features of sacroiliitis were present. In 228 (42 %) patients MRI showed at least one incidental finding other than sacroiliitis. A total of 271 abnormal findings were reported. The most frequent incidental findings were at lumbosacral spine (158 patients, 29 %) and hip (43 patients, 8 %). The most common incidental finding was axial degenerative changes, seen in 94 patients (17 %). Other less frequent pathologies were: simple (bone) cyst in 15 (2,8 %) patients; enthesitis/tendinitis in 16 (3 %) patients; non-specific focal bone marrow edema (BME) away from SI joints in 10 (1,9 %) patients; ovarian cysts in 7 (1,3 %) patients; BME in the course of chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) in 4 (0,7 %) patients; muscle pathology in 4 (0,7%) patients; benign tumors in 3 (0,6 %) patients; (old) fractures in 3 (0,6 %) patients; bony apophyseal avulsion in 2 (0,4 %) patients and malignant tumors in 2 (0,4 %) patients. CONCLUSION: Incidental findings are common on MRI of the SI joints in children clinically suspected of JSpA, particularly at the lumbar spine and hips. They are seen even more frequently than sacroiliitis and can be relevant, as some will have clinical significance or require treatment

The High-Acceptance Dielectron Spectrometer HADES

HADES is a versatile magnetic spectrometer aimed at studying dielectron production in pion, proton and heavy-ion induced collisions. Its main features include a ring imaging gas Cherenkov detector for electron-hadron discrimination, a tracking system consisting of a set of 6 superconducting coils producing a toroidal field and drift chambers and a multiplicity and electron trigger array for additional electron-hadron discrimination and event characterization. A two-stage trigger system enhances events containing electrons. The physics program is focused on the investigation of hadron properties in nuclei and in the hot and dense hadronic matter. The detector system is characterized by an 85% azimuthal coverage over a polar angle interval from 18 to 85 degree, a single electron efficiency of 50% and a vector meson mass resolution of 2.5%. Identification of pions, kaons and protons is achieved combining time-of-flight and energy loss measurements over a large momentum range. This paper describes the main features and the performance of the detector system

Imaging assessment of children presenting with suspected or known juvenile idiopathic arthritis : ESSR-ESPR points to consider

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common paediatric rheumatic disease. It represents a group of heterogenous inflammatory disorders with unknown origin and is a diagnosis of exclusion in which imaging plays an important role. JIA is defined as arthritis of one or more joints that begins before the age of 16 years, persists for more than 6 weeks and is of unknown aetiology and pathophysiology. The clinical goal is early suppression of inflammation to prevent irreversible joint damage which has shifted the emphasis from detecting established joint damage to proactively detecting inflammatory change. This drives the need for imaging techniques that are more sensitive than conventional radiography in the evaluation of inflammatory processes as well as early osteochondral change. Physical examination has limited reliability, even if performed by an experienced clinician, emphasising the importance of imaging to aid in clinical decision-making. On behalf of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) arthritis subcommittee and the European Society of Paediatric Radiology (ESPR) musculoskeletal imaging taskforce, based on literature review and/or expert opinion, we discuss paediatric-specific imaging characteristics of the most commonly involved, in literature best documented and clinically important joints in JIA, namely the temporomandibular joints (TMJs), spine, sacroiliac (SI) joints, wrists, hips and knees, followed by a clinically applicable point to consider for each joint. We will also touch upon controversies in the current literature that remain to be resolved with ongoing research

Diversity of muskox Ovibos moschatus (Zimmerman, 1780) (Bovidae, Mammalia) in time and space based on cranial morphometry

Muskox Ovibos moschatus is a Pleistocene relic, which has survived only in North America and Greenland. During the Pleistocene, it was widely distributed in Eurasia and North America. To evaluate its morphological variability through time and space, we conducted an extensive morphometric study of 217 Praeovibos and Ovibos skull remains. The analyses showed that the skulls grew progressively wider from Praeovibos sp. to the Pleistocene O. moschatus, while from the Pleistocene to the recent O. moschatus, the facial regions of the skull turned narrower and shorter. We also noticed significant geographic differences between the various Pleistocene Ovibos crania. Siberian skulls were usually larger than those from Western and Central Europe. Eastern Europeanmuskoxen also exceeded in size those from the other regions of Europe. The large size of Late Pleistocene muskoxen from regions located in more continental climatic regimes was probably associated with the presence of more suitable food resources in steppe-tundra settings. Consistently, radiocarbon-dated records of this species are more numerous in colder periods, when the steppe-tundra was widely spread, and less abundant in warmer periods

Selection method of measurement points for changes in water quality in the water supply network monitoring system

Problematyka wyboru lokalizacji punktów pomiarowych w systemie monitoringu jakości wody przesyłanej siecią wodociągową jest przedmiotem wielu badań. Prace prowadzone w tej dziedzinie dążą do opracowania metod, które pozwoliłyby na wskazanie takich miejsc w sieci wodociągowej, w których wykonane analizy wody reprezentowałyby jakość jak największej ilości wody przepływającej przez dany fragment sieci. Wielu badaczy do tego celu wykorzystuje węzły sieci, co jest związane z miejscem wprowadzania zanieczyszczenia w aplikacjach do modelowania jakości wody w sieciach wodociągowych. Trzeba mieć także na uwadze fakt, że pomiarami ciągłymi można objąć obecnie niewielką część wskaźników jakości wody – w punkcie pomiarowym możliwe jest oznaczenie jedynie tych substancji, które jest w stanie wykryć zainstalowany tam czujnik. Mając na uwadze te ograniczenia, w niniejszym artykule przedstawiono metodę wyboru lokalizacji punktów pomiarowych, wykorzystującą podstawowy element sieci wodociągowej, jakim jest odcinek. Opracowany model uwzględnia zarówno możliwość, jak i szybkość wykrycia zanieczyszczenia danego typu w rozpatrywanym odcinku pomiarowym. Metoda uwzględnia możliwość wykrywania różnych rodzajów zanieczyszczeń mogących pojawić się w wodzie w systemie dystrybucji. Uzupełnieniem odcinków pomiarowych na sieci powinny być punkty obiektowe, takie jak pompownie czy zbiorniki sieciowe. Opracowana metoda wyboru miejsc pomiaru jakości wody w systemie dystrybucji różni się od znanych dotychczas metod lokalizacji punktów monitorowania jakości wody tym, że punkty pomiaru są lokalizowane na odcinkach sieci wodociągowej, a nie w jej węzłach, jak również tym, że wprowadza dodatkowe kryterium określające podatność odcinków sieci na awarie.Location of measurement points in the water quality monitoring system for water supply networks has been subject to extensive research. The aim was to develop methods for such a selection of points within the water distribution system, for which the conducted water analyses would represent quality of possibly the largest amount of water fl owing through the selected network part. Many researchers select the network nodes to serve this purpose, associated with the pollutant entry in applications for water quality modelling. It should also be noted that continuous online measurements are limited to part of the water quality parameters. Only substances detectable with the installed detector are determined at a measurement point. Considering these limitations, the paper presents the method for selection of measurement points based on links as basic elements of the water supply network. The model takes account of feasibility as well as detection rate of certain pollutant types in the measurement links. Besides, it allows for detection of various pollutant types in the distribution system. Apart from the measurement links within the network, object points such as pumps or network reservoirs should also be acknowledged. The method developed differs from other conventional methods for localization of water quality measurement points in the distribution system in that the points are located on the network links and not in the network nodes. Also, the method provides an additional determination criterion for failure susceptibility of the network sections