Cechy ultrasonograficzne oraz poziom CA125 w hormonalnie czynnych guzach jajnika

Objectives: Subjective ultrasonographic assessment is currently considered to be the best method of differentiation between various types of ovarian tumors. The aim of the study was to evaluate selected ultrasonographic features and CA125 levels of hormonally active ovarian tumors. Material and methods: A total of 1135 women with ovarian tumors were diagnosed between 2006 and 2014 at the Division of Gynecologic Surgery, Poznan University of Medical Sciences. Within these tumors, there were 60 hormone-secreting ovarian tumors, including: 20 granulosa cell tumors, 28 fibrothecomas, 10 dysgerminomas, 2 struma ovarii, and 9 metastatic ovarian tumors. The tumors were evaluated by ultrasonography according to the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis group criteria. Additionally, we evaluated serum CA125 levels in all patients. Results: Granulosa cell tumors occurred most frequently as large unilocular-solid cysts, moderately to highly vascularized, with low-resistance vascularization. Dysgerminomas were predominantly large unilocular-solid cysts or purely solid tumors, with minimal to moderate low-resistance vascularization. Fibrothecomas were solid masses with minimal, high-resistance vascularization. Struma ovarii occurred as small, solid masses with abundant, highresistance vascularization. Metastatic ovarian tumors presented mainly as multilocular-solid tumors with strong, low-resistance vascularization. Papillary projections were most frequently observed in metastatic tumors and granulosa cell tumors in 56% and 50% of the cases respectively, although only half of granulosa cell tumors papillary projections exceeded 3 mm. Elevated CA125 levels were found only in metastatic ovarian tumors. Conclusions: Hormonally active ovarian tumors present several ultrasonographic features which may facilitate preoperative diagnosis.Cel pracy: Subiektywna ocena ultrasonograficzna jest obecnie uważana za najlepszą metodę różnicowania poszczególnych typów guzów jajników. Celem pracy była ocena wybranych cech ultrasonograficznych guzów oraz poziomu CA125 w surowicy u pacjentek z hormonalnie czynnymi guzami jajnika. Materiał i metody: Analizie poddano 1135 kobiet z rozpoznanymi guzami jajnika w latach 2006 do 2014, leczonych w Klinice Ginekologii Operacyjnej Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Poznaniu. Rozpoznano 60 hormonalnie czynnych guzów jajnika w tym: 20 ziarniszczaków, 28 włókniakootoczkowiaków, 10 rozrodczaków i 2 wola jajnikowe. Do badania włączono również 9 guzów przerzutowych jajnika. Guzy były oceniane w badaniu ultrasonograficznym według kryteriów grupy International Ovarian Tumor Analysis i w surowicy pacjentek zmierzono stężenie CA125. Wyniki: Ziarniszczaki występowały zazwyczaj jako jednokomorowe torbiele z elementem litym o umiarkowanym lub silnym niskooporowym unaczynieniu, włókniakootoczkowiaki najczęściej były dużymi guzami litymi, o minimalnym unaczynieniu o charakterze wysokooporowym. Rozrodczaki występowały z podobną częstością jako jednokomorowe torbiele lub lite guzy, z umiarkowanym lub silnym unaczynieniem o charakterze niskooporowym. Guzy przerzutowe przyjmowały najczęściej formę guza wielokomorowego z elementem litym. Wyrośla endofityczne były najczęściej obserwowane w guzach przerzutowych oraz ziarniszczakach, odpowiednio w 56% i 50% przypadków, aczkolwiek tylko połowa wyrośli endofitycznych ziarniszczaków była większa niż 3 mm. Podwyższony poziom CA125 występował tylko w przypadku guzów przerzutowych jajnika. Wnioski: Guzy jajnika hormonalnie czynne posiadają kilka cech ultrasonograficznych, które mogą ułatwiać diagnozę przedoperacyjną

Animal husbandry in the Early and Middle Neolithic settlement at Kopydłowo in the Polish lowlands: a multi-isotope perspective

The aim of this article is to examine the isotopic characterisation of domestic animals as it relates to birthing location and seasonality, diet, pasturing pattern, foddering and climatic conditions of herding and to determine variation between these aspects of cattle and caprine husbandry of the Neolithic Linearbandkultur (LBK) and Trichterbecherkultur (TRB) communities from Kopydłowo in Kujavia—one of the major centres of early farming in the European lowlands. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis was undertaken on faunal bone collagen; carbon, oxygen and strontium isotope ratios were measured from tooth enamel. Isotopic signatures may have been caused by different strategies of management of herds of these animal species. Different and more widely distributed carbon, nitrogen and strontium isotopic data for TRB cattle in comparison with its LBK counterparts is indicative of the exploitation of increasingly diverse ecological zones and more varied pastoral practises. The distribution of oxygen isotope values on caprine tooth made it possible to recognise herding seasonality. Irrespective of the chronology, cattle, sheep and goats kept by the inhabitants had C3 plant-based diet

A history of the LBK in the central Polish lowlands

A new chronological study of the LBK in the central Polish lowlands shows that it emerged later, lasted for a shorter period, and ended sooner than has been supposed up till now. LBK communities emerged, probably in the middle of the 53rd century cal BC, to form an enclave in the central Polish lowlands, probably as a result of colonisation from loess areas in the south of Poland. Settlement steadily intensified throughout the 52nd century cal BC, reaching its peak at the beginning of Phase III. In the middle of the 51st century cal BC there followed an abrupt decline or collapse, and LBK occupation of the lowlands had probably ended completely by the end of that century. There followed an appreciable gap before the re-emergence of settlement in the form of the Late Band Pottery culture (LBPC), characterised by significantly sparser settlement, changed dwelling structures and contacts with hunter-gatherer groups. A start to the wider task of comparing the situation in the central Polish lowlands with other regional sequences is made principally by reviewing similar formal modelling of a post-LBK hiatus in the Rhineland. Possible factors causing the LBK decline are discussed, including climatic downturn, population boom and bust, warfare, cultural malaise, disease and internal social conflict. None of these is overwhelmingly convincing on its own, and one of the many challenges for continuing research in the Polish lowlands and beyond will be to find further specific evidence to decide which of this range of possibilities is most plausible in specific contexts

CO2 Hydrogenation to Methane over Ni-Catalysts: The Effect of Support and Vanadia Promoting

Within the Waste2Fuel project, innovative, high-performance, and cost-effective fuel production methods are developed to target the “closed carbon cycle”. The catalysts supported on different metal oxides were characterized by XRD, XPS, Raman, UV-Vis, temperature-programmed techniques; then, they were tested in CO2 hydrogenation at 1 bar. Moreover, the V2O5 promotion was studied for Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. The precisely designed hydrotalcite-derived catalyst and vanadia-promoted Ni-catalysts deliver exceptional conversions for the studied processes, presenting high durability and selectivity, outperforming the best-known catalysts. The equilibrium conversion was reached at temperatures around 623 K, with the primary product of reaction CH4 (>97% CH4 yield). Although the Ni loading in hydrotalcite-derived NiWP is lower by more than 40%, compared to reference NiR catalyst and available commercial samples, the activity increases for this sample, reaching almost equilibrium values (GHSV = 1.2 × 104 h–1, 1 atm, and 293 K)

Codon-Optimization of Wild-Type Adeno-Associated Virus Capsid Sequences Enhances DNA Family Shuffling while Conserving Functionality

Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have become one of the most widely used gene transfer tools in human gene therapy. Considerable effort is currently being focused on AAV capsid engineering strategies with the aim of developing novel variants with enhanced tropism for specific human cell types, decreased human seroreactivity, and increased manufacturability. Selection strategies based on directed evolution rely on the generation of highly variable AAV capsid libraries using methods such as DNA-family shuffling, a technique reliant on stretches of high DNA sequence identity between input parental capsid sequences. This identity dependence for reassembly of shuffled capsids is inherently limiting and results in decreased shuffling efficiency as the phylogenetic distance between parental AAV capsids increases. To overcome this limitation, we have developed a novel codon-optimization algorithm that exploits evolutionarily defined codon usage at each amino acid residue in the parental sequences. This method increases average sequence identity between capsids, while enhancing the probability of retaining capsid functionality, and facilitates incorporation of phylogenetically distant serotypes into the DNA-shuffled libraries. This technology will help accelerate the discovery of an increasingly powerful repertoire of AAV capsid variants for cell-type and disease-specific applications. Keywords: AAV, library, directed evolution, codon optimization, DNA shuffling, capsi