Diagnostic performance of CT-arthrography and 1.5T MR-arthrography for the assessment of glenohumeral joint cartilage: a comparative study with arthroscopic correlation.

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic performance of multi-detector CT arthrography (CTA) and 1.5-T MR arthrography (MRA) in detecting hyaline cartilage lesions of the shoulder, with arthroscopic correlation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: CTA and MRA prospectively obtained in 56 consecutive patients following the same arthrographic procedure were independently evaluated for glenohumeral cartilage lesions (modified Outerbridge grade ≥2 and grade 4) by two musculoskeletal radiologists. The cartilage surface was divided in 18 anatomical areas. Arthroscopy was taken as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance of CTA and MRA was compared using ROC analysis. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was determined by κ statistics. RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity of CTA varied from 46.4 to 82.4 % and from 89.0 to 95.9 % respectively; sensitivity and specificity of MRA varied from 31.9 to 66.2 % and from 91.1 to 97.5 % respectively. Diagnostic performance of CTA was statistically significantly better than MRA for both readers (all p ≤ 0.04). Interobserver agreement for the evaluation of cartilage lesions was substantial with CTA (κ = 0.63) and moderate with MRA (κ = 0.54). Intraobserver agreement was almost perfect with both CTA (κ = 0.94-0.95) and MRA (κ = 0.83-0.87). CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance of CTA and MRA for the detection of glenohumeral cartilage lesions is moderate, although statistically significantly better with CTA. KEY POINTS: ? CTA has moderate diagnostic performance for detecting glenohumeral cartilage substance loss. ? MRA has moderate diagnostic performance for detecting glenohumeral cartilage substance loss. ? CTA is more accurate than MRA for detecting cartilage substance loss.

Reliure de : Mémoires historiques sur Raoul de Coucy. On y a joint le recueil de ses chansons en vieux langage, avec la traduction & l'ancienne musique

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Audit report on the Iowa Water Pollution Control Works Financing Program and the Iowa Drinking Water Facilities Financing Program, joint programs of the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, for the year ended June 30, 2010

Audit report on the Iowa Water Pollution Control Works Financing Program and the Iowa Drinking Water Facilities Financing Program, joint programs of the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, for the year ended June 30, 2010

A unique Permian-Triassic boundary section from the Neotethyan Hawasina Basin, Central Oman Mountains

In the Wadi Wasit area (Central Oman Mountains), Dienerian breccias are widespread. These breccias consist mostly of Guadalupian reefal blocks, often dolomitised, and some rare small-sized blocks of lowermost Triassic bivalve-bearing limestones. A unique block, with a size of about 200 m(3), including Permian and earliest Triassic faunas has been studied in detail. The so-called Wadi Wasit block consists of three major lithological units. A basal unstratified grey limestone is rich in various reef-building organisms (rugose corals, calcareous sponges, stromatoporoids) and has been dated as Middle Permian. It is disconformably overlain by well- and thin-bedded light grey to yellowish coloured limestones rich in molluscs. Two major lithologies (Coquina Limestone respectively Bioclastic Limestone unit) characterise the shelly limestones, their contact seems gradual. These two units are well-dated; they are of Griesbachian age and contain three conodont zones, the Parvus Zone, the Staeschei Zone and the Sosioensis Zone, and two ammonoid zones, the Ophiceras tibeticum Zone and an 'unnamed interval'. The third unit consists of a grey marly limestone containing Neospathodus kummeli (basal Dienerian). It is the first record of well-dated basal Triassic sediments in the Arabian Peninsula. The Coquina Limestone is dominated by the bivalve Promyalina with some Claraia and Eumorphotis. This bivalve association is interpreted as a pioneering opportunistic assemblage. Towards the top of the Bioclastic Limestone unit, the faunal diversity increases and contains probably more than 20 taxa of bivalves, microgastropods, crinoids, brachiopods, ammonoids, echinoid spines, ostracods and conodonts. The generic diversity of this biofacies exceeds by far any other Griesbachian assemblage known. Our data give new evidence for the geodynamical history for the distal carbonate shelf bordering the Hawasina Basin. A break in the sedimentation characterises the Late Permian. The basal Triassic shows a steady transgression and the breccias may record a distinct gravitational collapse of platform margins linked with sea-level low stand at the end of Induan time (late Dienerian-basal Smithian). delta(13)C(carb) isotopic analyses were performed and yield typical Permian values of around 4parts per thousand for the Reefal Limestone, with a strong negative shift across the Permian-Triassic boundary. During the Griesbachian values shift positively from 0.5 to 3.1parts per thousand parallel to an increase in faunal diversity and probably primary productivity. The detailed faunal analysis and the discovery of an unexpected diversity give,us a new understanding of the recovery of the Early Triassic marine ecosystem.

Majority carrier capture cross section determination in the large deep trap concentration cases

A method to determine the thermal cross section of a deep level from capacitance measurements is reported. The results enable us to explain the nonexponential behavior of the capacitance versus capture time when the trap concentration is not negligible with respect to that of the shallow one, and the Debye tail effects are taken into account. A figure of merit for the nonexponential behavior of the capture process is shown and discussed for different situations of doping and applied bias. We have also considered the influence of the position of the trap level"s energy on the nonexponentiality of the capture transient. The experimental results are given for the gold acceptor level in silicon and for the DX center in Al0.55 Ga0.45As, which are in good agreement with the developed theory.

CT-guided sacroiliac joint injection: Easy or difficult? : 53

Purpose: Fluoroscopy-guided sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injections are technically difficult to perform because of the complex anatomy with helicoidal conformation of the joint. Our study describes the procedure of CT-guided SIJ injection, its feasibility and its rate of success. Methods and materials: Retrospective study included 46 consecutive patients. The procedure was performed by 3 MSK radiologists and consisted in a puncture with a posterior approach in the inferior articular part of SIJ, then in an injection of iodinated contrast agent (1ml) with CT control of SIJ space opacification and finally in an injection of slowacting corticosteroid. The SIJ approach was noticed as correct if there was an inferior articular puncture and if the needle was in the articular space, and as impossible if there was ankylosis or osteophytosis. The study was divided in two successive periods: period 1 (4 first months) and period 2 (12 last months). Results: SIJ opacification was successful in 57% (26/46). We observed a learning curve: opacification was succeeded in 66% (23/35) and there was incorrect approach in 9% (3/35) during period 2 versus respectively 27% (3/11) and 45% (5/11) during period 1. Causes of failure were incorrect approach in 40% (6/20 too low, 2/20 too high), impossible approach in 30% (6/20) and unexplained in 30% (6/20). Mean duration of procedure was about 28 minutes. No complication occurred. Conclusion: CT guided SIJ injection is safe and successful in 66% after a training period. The success depends on SIJ correct approach and also on anatomical lesions.