Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in detecting tumour ...foci in patients with elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and negative transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided biopsy.
Materials and methods
This prospective randomised trial was conducted on 150 patients who underwent
1
HMRSI and DCE-MRI and targeted biopsies of suspicious areas on MRI associated with random biopsies.
Results
After the second biopsy, the diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma was made in 64/150 cases. On a perpatient basis, MRSI had 82.8% sensitivity, 91.8% specificity, 88.3% positive predictive value (PPV), 87.8% negative predictive value (NPV) and 85.7% diagnostic accuracy. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy for DCE-MRI was 76.5%, 89.5%, 84.5%, 83.7% and 82%, respectively. The combination of MRSI and DCE-MRI yielded 93.7% sensitivity, 90.7% specificity, 88.2% PPV, 95.1% NPV and 90.9% accuracy in detecting prostate carcinoma.
Conclusions
The combined study with 1HMRSI and DCE-MRI showed promising results in guiding the biopsy of cancer foci in patients with an initial negative TRUS-guided biopsy.
Geological sequestration of anthropogenic CO(2) appears to be a promising method for reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere. Geochemical modelling of the storage capacity ...for CO(2) in saline aquifers, sandstones and/or carbonates should be based on natural analogues both in situ and in the laboratory. The main focus of this paper has been to study natural gas emissions representing extremely attractive surrogates for the study and prediction of the possible consequences of leakage from geological sequestration sites of anthropogenic CO(2) (i.e., the return to surface, potentially causing localised environmental problems). These include a comparison among three different Italian case histories: (i) the Solfatara crater (Phlegraean Fields caldera, southern Italy) is an ancient Roman spa. The area is characterised by intense and diffuse hydrothermal activity, testified by hot acidic mud pools, thermal springs and a large fumarolic field. Soil gas flux measurements show that the entire area discharges between 1200 and 1500 tons of CO(2) per day; (ii) the Panarea Island (Aeolian Islands, southern Italy) where a huge submarine volcanic-hydrothermal gas burst occurred in November, 2002. The submarine gas emissions chemically modified seawater causing a strong modification of the marine ecosystem. All of the collected gases are CO(2)-dominant (maximum value: 98.43 vol.%); (iii) the Tor Caldara area (Central Italy), located in a peripheral sector of the quiescent Alban Hills volcano, along the faults of the Ardea Basin transfer structure. The area is characterised by huge CO(2) degassing both from water and soil. Although the above mentioned areas do not represent a storage scenario, these sites do provide many opportunities to study near-surface processes and to test monitoring methodologies.
This short communication aims at providing an updated report on degassing activity and ground deformation variations observed during the ongoing (2012–2019) Campi Flegrei caldera unrest, with a ...particular focus on Pisciarelli, currently its most active fumarolic field. We show that the CO2 flux from the main Pisciarelli fumarolic vent (referred as “Soffione”) has increased by a factor > 3 since 2012, reaching in 2018–2019 levels (>600 tons/day) that are comparable to those typical of a medium-sized erupting arc volcano. A substantial widening of the degassing vents and bubbling pools, and a further increase in CO2 concentrations in ambient air (up to 6000 ppm), have also been detected since mid-2018. We interpret this escalating CO2 degassing activity using a multidisciplinary dataset that includes thermodynamically estimated pressures for the source hydrothermal system, seismic and ground deformation data. From this analysis, we show that degassing, deformation and seismicity have all reached in 2018–2019 levels never observed since the onset of the unrest in 2005, with an overall uplift of ~57 cm and ~448 seismic events in the last year. The calculated pressure of the Campi Flegrei hydrothermal system has reached ~44 bar and is rapidly increasing. Our results raise concern on the possible evolution of the Campi Flegrei unrest and reinforce the need for careful monitoring of the degassing activity at Pisciarelli, hopefully with the deployment of additional permanent gas monitoring units.
•Still ongoing (2012–2019) Campi Flegrei caldera unrest•CO2 flux has increased by a factor > 3 since 2012 in Pisciarelli fumarolic field.•Substantial widening of the degassing vents and bubbling pools since mid-2018•The escalating activity includes the increase of the pressure of the hydrothermal reservoir, seismicity and ground uplift.
