Partial pancreatic resection along the embryological fusion plane — no longer a fantasy

Background: The embryological connection between the dorsal and ventral pancreatic regions divides the pancreas into two segments. This anatomical dependence allows segmental pancreatic resection through the embryological fusion plane (EFP). The advantages of limited pancreatic resection are the preservation of the natural continuity and function of the gastrointestinal tract and the avoidance of the metabolic and endocrine consequences of total resectionof the pancreas and the duodenum. Materials and methods: Two patients are described who underwent anatomical segmentectomy of the pancreatic head along the EFP for the treatment of pancreatic cystic tumour and main duct intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasm. The authors suggested diagnostic and intraoperative management leading to qualification for pancreatic resection along the EFP. Results: Pancreas and duodenum sparing surgery is an opportunity for patients in terms of the post-operative quality of life. Indications for this kind of surgery are limited and case selection is very difficult. The procedure for embryological bud resection is highly complicated includes a high rate of possible complications. On the other hand high volume centres may offer this procedure at an acceptable rate of complications in selected cases. Conclusions: Accurate diagnosis with a vascular anatomy and biliary and pancreatic duct configuration give grounds to analyse pancreas-sparing surgery. The operation plan requires careful three-dimensional planning and an experienced team. Bipolar electrocautery, micro-surgical tools and intraoperative cholangiography and pancreatography are helpful

Paleoceanography of the Northwestern Greenland Sea and Return Atlantic Current evolution, 35–4 kyr BP

The flow of the Atlantic Water (AW) via the Return Atlantic Current (RAC) regulates the oceanographical conditions in the Northwestern (NW) Greenland Sea in the Fram Strait. As the intensity of the RAC might significantly influence both deep-water formation in the area and the stability of the Northeast Greenland Ice Sheet (NE GIS), knowledge of its variability in the past is important. Here we present a reconstruction of the paleoceanographic forcing of the AW on climatic conditions and associated environmental changes in the NW Greenland Sea by means of foraminiferal assemblages, stable (oxygen and carbon) isotopes, and various sedimentological parameters from sediment core GR02-GC retrieved from NE Greenland continental slope (1170 m water depth). Our data indicate an almost continuous presence of AW in the NW Greenland Sea during the last 35 kyr BP. Two peaks of low planktic δ18O values at ~34.5 and 33 kyr BP are interpreted as meltwater signals associated with warm AW-induced melting of the adjacent NE GIS. The NE GIS advanced between 32 and 29 kyr BP, resulting in reduced meltwater influx to the NW Greenland Sea. Increased iceberg calving and melting after 29 kyr BP, were probably linked to surface warming and glacier advance to the shelf-break lasting until 23.5 kyr BP. During the Last Glacial Maximum, the extensive sea ice cover was associated with the presence of subsurface AW at the study site. During the Bølling–Allerød (B/A, ~14.6–12.7 kyr BP) strong melting of glaciers and sea ice was probably caused by the combined effect of the B/A warming and the flow of warm AW. The RAC was weakened during the Younger Dryas (~12.8–11.7 kyr BP), which reduced the advection of warm AW to the NW Greenland Sea. After 11.7 kyr BP, the RAC reached its modern strength, whereas, during the Holocene Thermal Maximum, it reached its maximum strength for the study period. In addition, short-term weakening of AW inflow to the core site was observed, especially at 10.5, 8.5, and 5.8 kyr BP

Caco<inf>3</inf> precipitation in multilayered cyanobacterial mats: Clues to explain the alternation of micrite and sparite layers in calcareous stromatolites

© 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Marine cyanobacterial mats were cultured on coastal sediments (Nivå Bay, Øresund, Denmark) for over three years in a closed system. Carbonate particles formed in two different modes in the mat: (i) through precipitation of submicrometer-sized grains of Mg calcite within the mucilage near the base of living cyanobacterial layers, and (ii) through precipitation of a variety of mixed Mg calcite/aragonite morphs in layers of degraded cyanobacteria dominated by purple sulfur bacteria. The 13C values were about 2‰ heavier in carbonates from the living cyanobacterial zones as compared to those generated in the purple bacterial zones. Saturation indices calculated with respect to calcite, aragonite, and dolomite inside the mats showed extremely high values across the mat profile. Such high values were caused by high pH and high carbonate alkalinity generated within the mats in conjunction with increased concentrations of calcium and magnesium that were presumably stored in sheaths and extracellular polymer substances (EPS) of the living cyanobacteria and liberated during their post-mortem degradation. The generated CaCO3 morphs were highly similar to morphs reported from heterotrophic bacterial cultures, and from bacterially decomposed cyanobacterial biomass emplaced in Ca-rich media. They are also similar to CaCO3 morphs precipitated from purely inorganic solutions. No metabolically (enzymatically) controlled formation of particular CaCO3 morphs by heterotrophic bacteria was observed in the studied mats. The apparent alternation of in vivo and post-mortem generated calcareous layers in the studied cyanobacterial mats may explain the alternation of fine-grained (micritic) and coarse-grained (sparitic) laminae observed in modern and fossil calcareous cyanobacterial microbialites as the result of a probably similar multilayered mat organization

The results of breast conservative therapy in early breast cancer in Greatpoland Cancer Centre

We are presenting results of our treatment during 3 years (1993–1995) in Greatpoland Cancer Centre.We treated 67 women with early breast cancer performing breast conservative surgery and radiation therapy. For treatment we chose women with breast tumor up to 3 cm in diameter and unpalpable axillary lymph nodes. The therapy consisted of quadrantectomy and axillary dissection and then radiation therapy.Chemotherapy was used for patients with histologically positive lymph nodes metastases. Due to the local recurrence the mastectomy was performed in four patients. Five women were treated with cytostatics because of metastases to the liver and bones.Three women died. The other women remain in the periodical observation in our hospital. These results have a preliminary character, because of the short follow up

Group 2i Isochrysidales produce characteristic alkenones reflecting sea ice distribution

AbstractAlkenones are biomarkers produced solely by algae in the order Isochrysidales that have been used to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST) since the 1980s. However, alkenone-based SST reconstructions in the northern high latitude oceans show significant bias towards warmer temperatures in core-tops, diverge from other SST proxies in down core records, and are often accompanied by anomalously high relative abundance of the C37 tetra-unsaturated methyl alkenone (%C37:4). Elevated %C37:4 is widely interpreted as an indicator of low sea surface salinity from polar water masses, but its biological source has thus far remained elusive. Here we identify a lineage of Isochrysidales that is responsible for elevated C37:4 methyl alkenone in the northern high latitude oceans through next-generation sequencing and lab-culture experiments. This Isochrysidales lineage co-occurs widely with sea ice in marine environments and is distinct from other known marine alkenone-producers, namely Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica. More importantly, the %C37:4 in seawater filtered particulate organic matter and surface sediments is significantly correlated with annual mean sea ice concentrations. In sediment cores from the Svalbard region, the %C37:4 concentration aligns with the Greenland temperature record and other qualitative regional sea ice records spanning the past 14 kyrs, reflecting sea ice concentrations quantitatively. Our findings imply that %C37:4 is a powerful proxy for reconstructing sea ice conditions in the high latitude oceans on thousand- and, potentially, on million-year timescales.</jats:p

Does the recent pool of benthic foraminiferal tests in fjordic surface sediments reflect interannual environmental changes? The resolution limit of the foraminiferal record

Benthic foraminifera tests (living + dead) and conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) records in Hornsund Fjord (SW Spitsbergen) were studied over five non-consecutive summer seasons during 2002–2011. The data indicated significant changes in the abundance of benthic foraminifera, species composition and the variability of hydrological and micro-environmental conditions in this fjord. The increased inflow of Atlantic Water (AW) resulted in higher foraminiferal biodiversity and a greater number of rare species; however, many of these were fragile and were thus poorly preserved in the sediment. Cold years significantly reduced species richness in the fjord centre, while more stable hydrological conditions with a predominance of opportunistic foraminifera were noted at the fjord head. Elphidium excavatum f. clavata and Cassidulina reniforme exhibited sensitivity to salinity changes and food supply. The dynamic foraminiferal response to hydrological changes led to the conclusion that the annual foraminiferal flux, compounded by the poor preservation of fragile individuals, significantly changed the spatial and interannual composition of the foraminiferal tests remaining in the sediment. Furthermore, only mature individuals are representative of yearlong or multi-year fjord conditions, since the juveniles that bloom during their maximum growth periods in spring can die out under poor summer and winter conditions. The findings of this study indicated that the upper 8 cm of the sediment in the intense depositional systems of the Svalbard fjords provide good representation of recently departed benthic foraminifera, because of their mobility in surface sediments and further sediment compaction. Hence, the corresponding 10- to 15-year resolution in palaeoceanographic investigations seems to be the most reliable

Generating dem from lidar data – comparison of available software tools

In recent years many software tools and applications have appeared that offer procedures, scripts and algorithms to process and visualize ALS data. This variety of software tools and of “point cloud” processing methods contributed to the aim of this study: to assess algorithms available in various software tools that are used to classify LIDAR “point cloud” data, through a careful examination of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) generated from LIDAR data on a base of these algorithms. The works focused on the most important available software tools: both commercial and open source ones. Two sites in a mountain area were selected for the study. The area of each site is 0.645 sq km. DEMs generated with analysed software tools ware compared with a reference dataset, generated using manual methods to eliminate non ground points. Surfaces were analysed using raster analysis. Minimum, maximum and mean differences between reference DEM and DEMs generated with analysed software tools were calculated, together with Root Mean Square Error. Differences between DEMs were also examined visually using transects along the grid axes in the test sites

The project for internationalizationof enterprises of the SME sector in Silesian voivodship

The article presents an approach to building a complex project of internationalization of enterprises in the SME sector. The authors focused on the methodological and research assumptions of the project in the context of challenges faced by business entities of the Silesian Voivodeship in the context of the dynamizing globalization processes. The socio-economic background of entrepreneurship in the Silesian voivodeship was discussed and the main approaches to internationalization processes in terms of literature were outlined. The significance of the internationalization process for innovation and competitiveness of enterprises in the Upper Silesia region was also emphasized, taking into account possible risks and threats.W artykule zaprezentowano podejście do budowania złożonego projektu internacjonalizacji przedsiębiorstw sektora MSP. Autorzy skoncentrowali się na założeniach metodycznych i badawczych projektu w kontekście wyzwań, jakie stoją przed podmiotami gospodarczymi województwa śląskiego w kon-tekście dynamizujących się procesów globalizacyjnych. Omówiono tło społeczno-gospodarcze przedsiębiorczości w województwie śląskim oraz zarysowano główne podejścia do procesów internacjonalizacji w ujęciu literaturowym. Podkreślone zostało także znaczenie procesu internacjonalizacji dla innowacyj-ności i konkurencyjności przedsiębiorstw regionu Górnego Śląska i Zagłębia, przy uwzględnieniu możliwych ryzyk i zagrożeń

Geochemical composition of Vistulian loess and micromorphology of interstadial palaeosols at the Kolodiiv site (East Carpathian Foreland, Ukraine

This paper summarizes geochemical and palaeopedological investigations of the Upper Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequences at the Kolodiiv site. The Kolodiiv 2, 3 and 5 profiles were selected for this study. The Kolodiiv 2 profile contains loesses, interglacial (Eemian) and interstadial (Vistulian) palaeosols. A set of Early Vistulian soils over lying Eemian gyttja and peat is exposed in the Kolodiiv 3 and 5 profiles. The mineral composition of the 50-2 mm silt fraction was analysed using non-oriented powder samples by means of X-ray dif - fraction. The total concentrations of nine major (Si, Ti, Al, Fe, Mn, Mg, Ca, K and Na) and nine trace elements (Zn, Pb, Ni, Rb, Cr, Sr, Ba, Co, V) as well as the humus content and loss on ignition were measured. The major elements concentrations in mineral deposits from the Kolodiiv 2 loess-palaeosol sequence indicate that the loess particles were derived from poorly weathered source rocks that have under - gone at least one sedimentary cycle. Climatic conditions have strongly in fluenced the mobilization and accumulation of elements in the palaeosol horizons due to the changes in the intensity of weathering and pedogenic processes. For the micromorphological study, ten samples from the Kolodiiv 3 and 5 profiles were used. Thin sections representing the Kolodiiv and Dubno set of palaeosols from Early Vistulian and Middle Pleniglacial show, be sides palaeopedologic characteristics, significant evidence of redeposition of sediments and soils

183. Współistnienie chorób piersi u chorych leczonych z powodu raka lub innych chorób tarczycy

Choroby gruczołu piersiowego i tarczycy należą do najczęściej występujących chorób u kobiet. Powszechność tych schorzeń budzi pytanie o istniejące pomiędzy nimi związki. Celem pracy była ocena gruczołu piersiowego u kobiet leczonych z powodu raka tub innych chorób tarczycy. Badaniem objęto 229 kobiet leczonych z powodu raka tarczycy oraz 39 kobiet, u których rozpoznano łagodne choroby tarczycy. Wśród chorych na raka tarczycy stwierdzono: 176 przypadków raka brodawkowatego (76,9%), 3 przypadki odmiany pęcherzykowej raka brodawkowatego (1,3%), 37 przypadków raka pęcherzykowego (16,2%), 5 przypadków raka oksyfilnego (2,2%) oraz 6 przypadków raka rdzeniastego (2,6%). W grupie łagodnych chorób tarczycy stwierdzono 26 przypadków wola guzkowego (66,7%), 9 przypadków choroby Hashimoto i innych zapaleń (23,1%) i 4 przypadki choroby Graves-Basedowa (10,3%). U chorych wykonywano następujące badania piersi: badanie palpacyjne, mammografię i ultrasonografię. W przypadku stwierdzenia zmian w powyższych badaniach kontynuowano diagnostykę wykonując biopsję cienkoigłową lub chirurgiczne wycięcie zmian z badaniem histopatologicznym. W grupie chorych na raka tarczycy u 62 pacjentek rozpoznano choroby piersi (27,1%). Były to: raki–5 przypadków (2,2%) oraz zmiany niezłośliwe –57 przypadków (24,9%). W grupie schorzeń niezłośliwych u 46 pacjentek były to zmiany o charakterze mastopatii (80,1%), a u 11 pacjentek nowotwory łagodne (19,3%). Zachorowalność na raka piersi w badanej 268 osobowej grupie chorych wyniosła 1,86% (1860/100 000) i wyraźnie przewyższa standaryzowany względem wieku wskaźnik zachorowalności wynoszący dla Polski 36,0/100 000.Wniosek – w grupie chorych tyreologicznych stwierdza się częstsze występowanie patologii w obrębie piersi. Uzasadnia to rutynową diagnostykę piersi w tej grupie kobiet