HOW CAN WE PREDICT DIABETES RESOLUTION AFTER METABOLIC SURGERY?

Introduction: Bariatric surgery is efficient treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite detailed qualification, not every patient achieve T2DM remission. Individualised Metabolic Surgery (IMS) and DiaRem scores have been recently developed to predict diabetes remission after bariatric surgery

Phytochemical and biological activity studies on Nasturtium officinale (watercress) microshoot cultures grown in RITA®^{®} temporary immersion systems

The main compounds in both extracts were gluconasturtiin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin and rutoside, the amounts of which were, respectively, determined as 182.93, 58.86 and 23.24 mg/100 g dry weight (DW) in biomass extracts and 640.94, 23.47 and 7.20 mg/100 g DW in plant herb extracts. The antioxidant potential of all the studied extracts evaluated using CUPRAC (CUPric Reducing Antioxidant Activity), FRAP (Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma), and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) assays was comparable. The anti-inflammatory activity of the extracts was tested based on the inhibition of 15-lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and phospholipase A2. The results demonstrate significantly higher inhibition of COX-2 for in vitro cultured biomass compared with the herb extracts (75.4 and 41.1%, respectively). Moreover, all the studied extracts showed almost similar antibacterial and antifungal potential. Based on these findings, and due to the fact that the growth of in vitro microshoots is independent of environmental conditions and unaffected by environmental pollution, we propose that biomass that can be rapidly grown in RITA® bioreactors can serve as an alternative source of bioactive compounds with valuable biological properties

PET-CT evaluation of solitary pulmonary nodules: with or without a radiologist?

BACKGROUND: CT scan provides information about the anatomy and morphology, may confirm whether the change is single or has multifocal character and may suggest the probability of malignancy. Due to increased metabolism, at PET examination malignant tissues usually show a greater uptake of 18F-FDG than benign changes and healthy tissue. In several cases, PET-CT is described only by a specialist in nuclear medicine without consulting a radiologist. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of PET with assessment performed by a single nuclear medicine specialist and multidisciplinary assessment by both nuclear medicine and radiology specialists. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PET-CT was performed in 58 consecutive patients referred from John Paul II Hospital in Cracow because of radiologically diagnosed solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) with diameter > 1 cm. An histopatological specimen was obtained in 37 patients. In 17 cases PET-CT images were evaluated by a single nuclear medicine specialist (group A), while for the remaining 20 cases, the image evaluation was performed shoulder-to-shoulder by a nuclear medicine specialist and a radiologist (group B). ANALYSIS OF DATA: Overall PET sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and accuracy were calculated on the basis of anatomopathologic results. These data were also calculated separately for groups A and B. RESULTS: The histopatologic examination demonstrated the non neoplastic character of 7/37 lesions. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values for group A were 85.7%, 100%, 100%, 33.3% and 88% while for group B were 92.8%, 83.3%, 92.8%, 83.3% and 90% respectively. CONCLUSION: PET-CT is an accurate diagnostic method to assess the nature of solitary pulmonary nodules. The consultation with radiologist does not substantially affect the PET-CT diagnostic accuracy, but can lead to a higher negative predictive value

Two stages of Late Carboniferous to Triassicmagmatism in the Strandja Zone of Bulgaria and Turkey

Although Variscan terranes have been documented from the Balkans to the Caucasus, the southeastern portion of the Variscan Belt is not well understood. The Strandja Zone along the border between Bulgaria and Turkey encompasses one such terrane linking the Balkanides and the Pontides. However, the evolution of this terrane, and the Late Carboniferous to Triassic granitoids within it, is poorly resolved. Here we present laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Pb zircon ages, coupled with petrography and geochemistry from the Izvorovo Pluton within the Sakar Unit (Strandja Zone). This pluton is composed of variably metamorphosed and deformed granites which yield crystallization ages of c. 251–256 Ma. These ages are older than the previously assumed age of the Izvorovo Pluton based on a postulated genetic relationship between the Izvorovo Pluton and Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous metamorphism. A better understanding of units across the Strandja Zone can now be achieved, revealing two age groups of plutons within it. An extensive magmatic episode occurred c. 312–295 Ma, and a longer-lived episode between c. 275 and 230 Ma. Intrusions associated with both magmatic events were emplaced into pre-Late Carboniferous basement, and were overprinted by Early Alpine metamorphism and deformation. These two stages of magmatism can likely be attributed to changes in tectonic setting in the Strandja Zone. Such a change in tectonic setting is likely related to the collision between Gondwana-derived terranes and Laurussia, followed by either subduction of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean beneath Laurussia or rifting in the southern margin of Laurussia, with granitoids forming in different tectonic environments

External validation of predictive scores for diabetes remission after metabolic surgery

PURPOSE: Bariatric surgery has proven to be the most efficient treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite detailed qualification, desirable outcome after an intervention is not achieved by every patient. Various risk prediction models of diabetes remission after metabolic surgery have been established to facilitate the decision-making process. The purpose of the study is to validate the performance of available risk prediction scores for diabetes remission a year after surgical treatment and to determine the optimal model. METHODS: A retrospective analysis comprised 252 patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG) between 2009 and 2017 and completed 1-year follow-up. The literature review revealed 5 models, which were subsequently explored in our study. Each score relationship with diabetes remission was assessed using logistic regression. Discrimination was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve, whereas calibration by the Hosmer–Lemeshow test and predicted versus observed remission ratio. RESULTS: One year after surgery, 68.7% partial and 21.8% complete diabetes remission and 53.4% excessive weight loss were observed. DiaBetter demonstrated the best predictive performance (AUROC 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71–0.90; p-value > 0.05 in the Hosmer–Lemeshow test; predicted-to-observed ratio 1.09). The majority of models showed acceptable discrimination power. In calibration, only the DiaBetter score did not lose goodness-of-fit in all analyzed groups. CONCLUSION: The DiaBetter score seems to be the most appropriate tool to predict diabetes remission after metabolic surgery since it presents adequate accuracy and is convenient to use in clinical practice. There are no accurate models to predict T2DM remission in a patient with advanced diabetes. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00423-021-02260-3

Variscan magmatic evolution of the Strandja Zone (Southeast Bulgaria and Northwest Turkey) and its relationship to other North Gondwanan margin terranes

The Strandja Zone, straddling the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, is often assigned to either the Balkanide or the Pontide thrust belts of the Alpine orogen in the Black Sea region. Previous studies have considered this zone, which originated on the North Gondwanan margin, as part of a Late Carboniferous to Triassic magmatic arc associated with the subduction of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean beneath Eurasia. Magmatism has been regarded as representing one continuous or two separate stages occurring under different tectonic settings. We present new LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon ages together with field, petrographic and geochemical studies of variably deformed granites from the Sakar Batholith and Levka Pluton of the Sakar Unit in the Strandja Zone. The new U-Pb ages from Sakar Batholith (ca. 306 Ma) and Levka Pluton (ca. 319 Ma) demand a re-evaluation of previously published U-Pb crystallisation ages from these magmatic bodies. The U-Pb age reported for the Levka Pluton also provides an upper age limit for the timing of Variscan metamorphism. The Late Carboniferous to Early Permian magmatic evolution of the Strandja Zone displays a strong resemblance to that of the Sredna Gora Zone. Both units, probably together with Serbo-Macedonian Metamorphic Complex and Sakarya Zone, were part of the metamorphic core of the Variscan Orogen

Brief Review of Endometriosis and the Role of Trace Elements

Endometriosis is a chronic, estrogen-dependent, inflammatory condition that is defined as the presence of endometrial glands and stroma outside the uterine cavity. Despite the progress in research into the mechanisms leading to the development of endometriosis, its cause has not yet been established. It seems to be possible that the formation of oxidative stress may be one of the main causes of the development of endometriosis. There is much research that studies the potential role of trace elements in the appearance of endometrial-like lesions. Most studies focus on assessing the content of selected trace elements in the blood, urine, or peritoneal fluid in women with endometriosis. Meanwhile, little is known about the content of these elements in endometrial-like implants, which may be helpful in developing the theory of endometriosis. Investigations that are more comprehensive are needed to confirm a hypothesis that some trace elements play a role in the pathomechanism of endometriosis