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Background. Transvenous lead extraction (TLE) is recommended in cases of local and systemic infections related to cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Additionally, TLE is indicated in the event of lead damage or CIED malfunction. The extraction procedure is associated with a risk of life-threatening complications. Objectives. The aim of the EVO registry was to assess the safety and efficacy of birotational Evolution tool usage. Materials and methods. This registry study was prospectively conducted in 8 high-volume implantation centers in Poland. The study included 133 patients aged 63.5 ±15.1 years, and 76.69% were male. Indications for the procedure were: local or systemic infection (33.1%) and lead dysfunction (66.9%). The number of leads extracted varied from 1 (39.84%) to 3 (9.77%). Results. Clinical procedural success was achieved in 99.1% of cases. A total of 226 leads were extracted, and 206 used the Evolution system. Two procedural strategies were identified while using the Evolution system: (1) usage of locking stylet, propylene sheaths and the Evolution system (118 leads, 52%) - group A; (2) usage of locking stylet and Evolution (88 leads, 39%) - group B. There were no differences in the number of complications between these 2 groups. The extraction time was significantly shorter (p = 0.02) in group B than in group A. Major complications occurred in 5.2% of cases with 2 intraprocedural deaths. Minor complications occurred in 1.5% of patients. Conclusions. The registry confirmed the efficacy and relative safety of the birotational Evolution sheath. Using the rotational sheath as a first attempt significantly reduces extraction time without compromising its safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 A6 variant is dominating in high-prevalence Eastern European countries, with increasing prevalence over the remaining regions of Europe. The recent war in Ukraine may contribute to further introductions of this A6 lineage. Our aim was to model the transmission dynamics of the HIV-1 A6 variant between Poland and Ukraine. Methods HIV-1 A6 partial pol sequences originating from Poland (n = 1185) and Ukraine (n = 653) were combined with publicly available sequences (n = 7675) from 37 other countries. We used maximum likelihood-based tree estimation followed by a bayesian inference strategy to characterize the putative transmission clades. Asymmetric discrete phylogeographic analysis was used to identify the best-supported virus migration events across administrative regions of Poland and Ukraine. Results We identified 206 clades (n = 1362 sequences) circulating in Poland or Ukraine (63 binational clades, 79 exclusively Polish, and 64 exclusively Ukrainian). Cross-border migrations were almost exclusively unidirectional (from Ukraine to Poland, 99.4%), mainly from Eastern and Southern Ukraine (Donetsk, 49.7%; Odesa, 17.6% regions) to the Central (Masovian, 67.3%; Lodz, 18.2%) and West Pomeranian (10.1%) districts of Poland. The primary sources of viral dispersal were the Eastern regions of Ukraine, long affected by armed conflict, and large population centers in Poland. Conclusions The Polish outbreak of the A6 epidemic was fueled by complex viral migration patterns across the country, together with cross-border transmissions from Ukraine. There is an urgent need to include war-displaced people in the national HIV prevention and treatment programs to reduce the further spread of transmission networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In recent years, a reduction in the life expectancy gap between people living with HIV (PLWH) and the general population has been observed, irrespective of CD4 lymphocyte count, due to widespread access to antiretroviral treatment. The increase in the life expectancy of PLWH has increased awareness of both the ageing process and gender discrepancies in immune restoration and survival. Materials and Methods: Longitudinal data were collected for 2240 patients followed up at the Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw, Poland (n = 1482), and the Department of Acquired Immunodeficiency, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland (n = 758). Immune restoration was measured from the time of starting combination antiretroviral therapy until achieving 500 CD4 lymphocytes/μL, 800 CD4 lymphocytes/μL, and CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratios of > 0.8 and > 1.0. Full recovery was achieved when the patient was restored to both 800 CD4 lymphocytes/μL and a CD4/CD8 lymphocyte ratio > 1.0. Results: For all endpoints, immune restoration had a protective effect by reducing mortality. Patients who achieved immune restoration had a greater chance of reduced mortality than those who did not achieve immune restoration: for CD4 count > 500 cells/μL, HR = 5.4 (interquartile range: 3.09–9.41), p < 0.001; for CD4 > 800 cells/μL, HR = 5.37 (2.52–11.43), p < 0.001; for CD4/CD8 ratio > 0.8, HR = 3.16 (1.81–5.51), p < 0.001; for CD4/CD8 ratio > 1.0, HR = 2.67 (1.49–5.24), p = 0.001, and for full immune recovery, HR = 3.62 (1.63–8.04), p = 0.002. Conclusions: Immune restoration remains a powerful factor in improving the survival of PLWH, regardless of the speed of recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological studies need to use laboratory techniques, including analytical methods like Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, gas chromatography - mass spectrometry, and high-performance liquid chromatography, as well as genetic methods to resolve and verify scientific hypotheses. However, additional tools are still needed in the case of the cultural practices and traditions of ancient societies. Archaeological examinations of cultural practices have made significant progress in recent years, but additional tools are still needed to fully understand the complexity and diversity of these practices. In this work, we demonstrate how the genotyping of soil bacteria that can produce endospores is a potentially additional method for discovering past funeral rituals in various human populations who used food during their ceremonies. Endospores were isolated from soil samples taken from inside earthenware cup and pot-type vessels from a burial ground identified with the Tarnobrzeg Lusatian culture (SE Poland). The detected species of spore-forming bacteria strains were mostly environmental (originating from soil and / or water). However, the presence of some of the taxa i.e. (Peanibacillus, Bacillus) may provide a valuable source of archaeological information. We found that a combination of molecular and microbiological analysis can support archaeological studies of burial grounds and - in particular - individual graves, especially when they are characterized by a complete lack of bones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of the research was to establish a microsatellite panel to determine the genetic diversity within the breeding nutria population in Poland. In the study, 92 animals representing six color forms were used. Ten fluorescently labeled microsatellite markers were investigated by multicolored capillary electrophoresis. All the microsatellites were polymorphic. The average heterozygosity observed among the population was 41%. The mean number of alleles per locus was 9.2. The average heterozygosity observed in the whole population was lower than expected. This implies that the nutria population deviates from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Low M values (from 0.078 to 0.545) of the Garza-Williamson index reveal a reduction of genetic variation in the investigated population and suggest that the breeding nutria population is remnant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Anaplastic oligodendrogliomas (AO) are infiltrative, mostly supratentorial tumours, often bilaterally affecting the white matter. Radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy have a role in the adjuvant treatment of AO, but currently the efficacy of various treatment modalities could not be definitively determined because of the heterogeneity of the therapies used. Aim: Assessment of the efficacy of altered therapy schedules in postoperative treatment of patients with anaplastic oligodendrogliomas Materials/Methods: Between 1975 and 2000, 101 adult patients with anaplastic oligodendrogliomas were postoperatively treated in our institution. During this period patients received conventional radiation therapy and chemotherapy (CRT/CH), conventional radiation therapy (CRT), and split course hypofractionated radiation therapy (SCHRT). Between 1975 and 1985, CRT/CH was applied in 42 patients. Whole brain irradiation was delivered; the tumour dose of 5Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks was calculated at the midplane of the skull. Then treatment fields were reduced and a 10Gy boost was given in 5 fractions over 5 days to the known tumour bearing area. On the last day of irradiation patients began the first of six planned series of chemotherapy with CCNU, given 100mg/2, orally every 8 weeks. From 1986 to 1990, CRT was received by 27 patients. Irradiation was only as described above. Between 1991 and 2000, 32 patients were given SCHRT. There were 3 courses of irradiation separated by a one-month interval. In each of the two first series patients received 20Gy in 5 fractions in five days to the whole brain, and in the third course a 20Gy boost in 5 fractions over 5 days was given as in the CRT regimen. Results: Actuarial overall survival rates at two and five years were 38% and 10% respectively for patients treated with CRT/CH, 36% and 11% for the CRT group, and 23% and 6% for the SCHRT option. Multivariate analysis revealed that only age was a significant factor. Patients aged 45 years or less carried the best prognosis. Conclusions: The efficacy of different postoperative treatments administered to our patients with anaplastic oligodendrogliomas gave approximately comparable and unrewarding poor results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a broad overview of laboratory methods for measuring thermal properties and petrophysical parameters of carbonate rocks, and analytical methods for interpreting the obtained data. The investigation was conducted on carbonate rock samples from the Kraków region of Poland in the context of shallow geothermal potential assessment. The measurement techniques used included standard macroscopic examinations; petrophysical investigations (porosity, density); analysis of mineral composition thermal conductivity (TC) and specific heat measurements; and advanced investigations with the use of computed tomography (CT). Various mathematical models, such as layer model, geometric mean, and spherical and non-spherical inclusion models, were applied to calculate thermal conductivity based on mineralogy and porosity. The aim of this paper was to indicate the optimal set of laboratory measurements of carbonate rock samples ensuring sufficient characterization of petrophysical and thermal rock properties. This concerns both the parameters directly characterizing the geothermal potential (thermal conductivity) and other petrophysical parameters, e.g., porosity and mineral composition. Determining the quantitative relationship between these parameters can be of key importance in the case of a shortage of archival thermal conductivity data, which, unlike other petrophysical measurements, are not commonly collected. The results clearly show that the best correlations between calculated and measured TC values exist for the subgroup of samples of porosity higher than 4%. TC evaluation based on porosity and mineral composition correlation models gives satisfactory results compared with direct TC measurements. The methods and results can be used to update the existing 3D parametric models and geothermal potential maps, and for the preliminary assessment of geothermal potential in the surrounding area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Runs of homozygosity (ROH) regions are known to be common in the genomes of cattle and have become a subject of interest of various research in recent years. ROH can be used as a valuable tool to estimate inbreeding, which needs to be controlled in livestock populations. Moreover, analysis of ROH is considered to be an effective method of identifying genome regions that are a subject of selection pressure, which may help in understanding the genetic aspects of production traits under selection. In this study, we analyzed ROH characteristics of 11 cattle breeds, both commercial and native, maintained in Poland. We presented distinct differences in the length, quantity and frequency of ROH between the analyzed breeds as well as in the levels of genomic inbreeding. Higher levels of inbreeding were characteristic for commercial breeds, especially beef breeds. In addition, within ROH islands, we observed a number of genes with a confirmed influence on the level of production traits. The presented results and identified genes can be a basis for further research focused on the identification of genes and markers essential in the determination of the most important production traits in cattle. In the presented research, BovineSNP50 microarrays (Illumina) were applied to determine runs of homozygosity in the genomes of 11 cattle breeds maintained in Poland. These cattle breeds represent three basic utility types: milk, meat and dual purpose. Analysis of runs of homozygosity allowed the evaluation of the level of autozygosity within each breed in order to calculate the genomic inbreeding coefficient (FROH), as well as to identify regions of the genome with a high frequency of ROH occurrence, which may reflect traces of directional selectin left in their genomes. Visible differences in the length and distribution of runs of homozygosity in the genomes of the analyzed cattle breeds have been observed. The highest mean number and mean sums of lengths of runs of homozygosity were characteristic for Hereford cattle and intermediate for the Holstein-Friesian Black-and-White variety, Holstein-Friesian Red-and-White variety, Simmental, Limousin, Montbeliarde and Charolais breeds. However, lower values were observed for cattle of conserved breeds. Moreover, the selected livestock differed in the level of inbreeding estimated using the FROH coefficient. In regions of the genome with a high frequency of ROH occurrence, which may reflect the impact of directional selection, a number of genes were observed that can be potentially related to the production traits which are under selection pressure for specific production types. The most important detected genes were GHR, MSTN, DGAT1, FABP4, and TRH, with a known influence on the milk and meat traits of the studied cattle breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• S. terricola M 3.1.4. is a novel yeast strain capable of using PMG as a source of nutrients for growth. • PMG degradation regardless of the phosphate cell status has been proven. • Psychrotolerant yeast degrades PMG via GOX pathway. Solicoccozyma terricola M 3.1.4., the yeast strain isolated from soil sample from blueberry cultivation in Miedzyrzec Podlaski in Poland, is capable to split of phosphorus to nitrogen and nitrogen to carbon bonds in N -phosphonomethylglycine (PMG, glyphosate). The biodegradation process proceeds in the phosphate-independent manner. It is the first example of a psychrotolerant yeast strain able to degrade PMG via C N bond cleavage accompanied by AMPA formation and not like in most microorganisms via C P bond disruption followed by the sarcosine pathway. Glyphosate oxidoreductase (GOX) type activity was detected in cell-free extracts prepared from S. terricola M 3.1.4. pregrown on 4 mM PMG as a sole phosphorus and nitrogen source in cultivation medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are defined as contiguous homozygous regions of the genome where the two haplotypes inherited from the parents are identical. It has been shown that the length and frequency of ROH may describe the history of the population in which an individual occurs; they may also reveal the level of inbreeding within populations, recent population bottlenecks or signatures of positive selection. In this study, BovineSNP50 whole-genome genotyping assay was used to analyse the lengths and distributions of the ROH found in the genomes of four cattle breeds maintained in Poland (Holstein, Polish Red, Limousin and Simmental) to assess both the level of autozygosity of each breed and to identify the genomic regions most commonly associated with ROH that may reflect directional selection pressure. Visible differences in the length and distribution of homozygous regions across the genome between selected breeds were observed. The breeds also varied in the level of autozygosity (inbreeding) estimated by F ROH , which was lower for unselected cattle. Moreover, within the regions of the genome most commonly associated with ROH that may reveal signatures of recent selection a number of genes potentially connected with different production features characteristic for individual breeds were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to the prolonged survival of patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices, leads often need to be removed in elderly individuals., Objectives: We aimed to analyze indications for transvenous lead extraction (TLE), procedure effectiveness and safety, as well as 30‑day follow‑up in younger patients (≤80 years) and octogenarians (>80 years)., Patients and Methods: This prospective study included 667 patients who underwent TLE: 90 octogenarians (13.5%) at a mean age of 83.8 (range, 80.4-93) years and 577 younger patients (86.5%) at a mean age of 64.2 (range, 18.9-79.9) years., Results: Octogenarians had a greater number of comorbidities, fewer implantable cardioverter‑defibrillators implanted, and more frequently had infection as an indication for TLE, as compared with younger patients (33.3% vs 17.1%; P <0.001). In octogenarians, 138 leads were extracted, as compared with 894 leads in younger patients. Octogenarians and younger patients had similar rates of complete lead removal (98.6% and 97.1%, respectively; P = 0.48), total procedural success (97.8% and 96%, respectively; P = 0.7), major complications (0% and 1.6%, respectively; P = 0.45), and minor complications (2.2% and 1.6%, respectively; P = 0.45). There was 1 death associated with TLE in younger patients. Non-procedure‑related deaths within 30 days after TLE were more frequent in octogenarians than in younger patients (5.6% vs 1.9%; P = 0.04)., Conclusion: We showed that TLE in patients older than 80 years seems to be as effective as in younger patients; however, it is associated with significantly higher non-procedure‑related 30‑day mortality.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is thought to be a progressive arrhythmia. The impact of sex and position of right ventricular lead is not well recognized. Whilst nonparoxysmal AF compared with paroxysmal AF has been associated with increased mortality in the general population, its prognostic significance nin patients with a dual‑chamber (DDD) pacemaker is less clear., Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of permanent AF in patients with a DDD pacemaker, analyze the effect of selected baseline characteristics on permanent AF development, and examine the impact of permanent AF on patient survival., Methods: A retrospective cohort study included 3932 consecutive patients who underwent DDD pacing system implantation between 1984 and 2014. Follow‑up was completed in August 2016. We included 3771 patients (96%) with post‑operative follow‑up and known vital status. Occurrence of permanent AF and all‑cause mortality were the study endpoints., Results: During mean follow‑up of 6.5 years, permanent AF occurred in 717 patients (19%). Sex (hazard ratio [HR], 1.316; 95% CI, 1.134-1.528, for men), age at implant (HR, 1.041; 95% CI, 1.033-1.049, 1-year increase), history of AF (HR, 3.521; 95% CI, 3.002-4.128) were independently associated with permanent AF development, whereas position of right ventricular lead (apical versus nonapical) and primary pacing indication (atrioventricular block versus sick sinus syndrome) were not related to permanent AF. Permanent AF was a significant risk factor for increased mortality (age- and sex‑adjusted HR, 1.475; 95% CI, 1.294-1.682)., Conclusions: Permanent AF occurrence was independently predicted by advanced age at implant, male sex, and preexisting AF and associated with worse survival.

Background: Pacemakers have become the standard of care in patients with severe bradycardia and conduction abnormalities. The survival and premature mortality can be assessed using the years of life lost (YLLs)., Aims: The aim of the study was to analyze mortality trends over the period from 1999 to 2015 among patients implanted with a dual‑chamber (DDD) pacemaker who were inhabitants of Małopolska Province., Methods: This was a retrospective study of records collected from consecutive patients who underwent de novo DDD pacemaker implantation at a single center between 1984 and 2014. Inclusion criteria were residence status in Małopolska Province at the latest follow‑up visit and death between 1999 and 2015. The standard expected years of life lost per death was used to calculate YLLs. Time trends were evaluated with joinpoint models and presented as an average annual percentage change (AAPC)., Results: Among a total of 3932 consecutive patients implanted with a DDD pacemaker, 1211 patients met the inclusion criteria. We noted an increase in the mean age at implant from 70 years in 1999 to 75.5 years in 2015 (AAPC, 0.6%; P <0.05), the number of years lived after DDD pacemaker implantation from 2.6 years to 8.2 years (AAPC, 7.4%; P <0.05), and the mean age at death from 72.6 years to 83.8 years (AAPC, 0.89%; P <0.05). Finally, we observed a reduction of the YLLs per death from 17.4 years in 1999 to 9 years in 2015 (AAPC, -4%; P <0.05). All trends were significant for both men and women., Conclusions: In the 17‑year follow‑up, we showed significant changes in analyzed trends, in particular a reduction in the YLLs per death.

Background: Dual-chamber (DDD) pacing is the most widely utilised pacing modality in many parts of the world. The present study aimed to evaluate life expectancy of DDD pacemaker patients in comparison to the age- and sex-matched general population, assess changes in baseline characteristics over three decades of the inclusion period and determine the association between selected variables and patient survival., Methods: This longitudinal study of consecutive de novo DDD pacemaker implantations performed between 1984 and 2014, with all-cause mortality until 2016 as the endpoint, was conducted at a singlecenter university hospital., Results: Under assessment were 3928 patients with a total of 30,087 patient-years of survival time. Compared to the general population, the observed survival was significantly inferior until 12 years post DDD pacemaker implant (HR = 1.499, p < 0.001), whereas after 12 years of follow-up the observed survival was significantly superior (HR = 0.555, p < 0.001). A comparison of patient baseline characteristics over three decades revealed the following significant changes: more elderly patients, more female patients, less patients with atrioventricular block, more patients with atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (AF/AFL) and fewer patients with an apical right ventricular (RV) lead position in the later decades. In multivariate analysis male sex and higher age were the only variables significantly associated with shorter survival time. Indication for pacing, history of pre-implant AF/AFL, RV lead position and device infection were not associated with survival., Conclusions: In the very-long-term follow-up of DDD pacemaker patients, the parameters associated with survival were sex and baseline age at first implantation.

Objective: Dual-chamber (DDD) pacing is the most commonly used mode of heart stimulation. The data on gender-related differences in the long-term follow-up of DDD pacing mode are still limited. We performed a retrospective single-centre study to determine the effect of gender on the implantation indications and the incidence of adverse events resulting in DDD mode loss., Methods and Results: A group of 1,049 consecutive patients with DDD pacemaker implanted between 1984 and 2002 were followed up until 2014. The study group consisted of 995 patients who performed at least one follow-up visit. Follow-up period was 124.2 ± 68.3 months, mean age was 63.5 ± 12.4 years, 56% were male. Adverse events were defined as loss of primary DDD stimulation--lead malfunction, progression to permanent AF, and infective complications. Women were older than men (64.7 vs 62.6 years) at the time of implantation and they remained, on average, 1.5 year longer in follow-up compared with men. Female patients had significantly more SSS, history of paroxysmal AF, and a similar percentage of AVB compared with male patients. The incidence of lead malfunction, device-related infections, and progression to permanent AF did not show significant differences. However, in the group without prior paroxysmal AF, women developed permanent AF more frequently., Conclusions: This patients cohort showed that there is an association between gender and indications to DDD pacing therapy. The rate of adverse events was similar in both genders. Women had a significantly longer duration of follow-up, despite markedly higher age at implantation.

Aim: To evaluate the utility of serum and urine metabolomic analysis in diagnosing and monitoring of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)., Methods: Serum and urine samples were collected from 24 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 19 patients with the Crohn's disease (CD) and 17 healthy controls. The activity of UC was assessed with the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index, while the activity of CD was determined using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index. The analysis of serum and urine samples was performed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. All spectra were exported to Matlab for preprocessing which resulted in two data matrixes for serum and urine. Prior to the chemometric analysis, both data sets were unit variance scaled. The differences in metabolite fingerprints were assessed using partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under curves were used to evaluate the quality and prediction performance of the obtained PLS-DA models. Metabolites responsible for separation in models were tested using STATISTICA 10 with the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test and the Student's t test (α = 0.05)., Results: The comparison between the group of patients with active IBD and the group with IBD in remission provided good PLS-DA models (P value 0.002 for serum and 0.003 for urine). The metabolites that allowed to distinguish these groups were: N-acetylated compounds and phenylalanine (up-regulated in serum), low-density lipoproteins and very low-density lipoproteins (decreased in serum) as well as glycine (increased in urine) and acetoacetate (decreased in urine). The significant differences in metabolomic profiles were also found between the group of patients with active IBD and healthy control subjects providing the PLS-DA models with a very good separation (P value < 0.001 for serum and 0.003 for urine). The metabolites that were found to be the strongest biomarkers included in this case: leucine, isoleucine, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, N-acetylated compounds, acetoacetate, glycine, phenylalanine and lactate (increased in serum), creatine, dimethyl sulfone, histidine, choline and its derivatives (decreased in serum), as well as citrate, hippurate, trigonelline, taurine, succinate and 2-hydroxyisobutyrate (decreased in urine). No clear separation in PLS-DA models was found between CD and UC patients based on the analysis of serum and urine samples, although one metabolite (formate) in univariate statistical analysis was significantly lower in serum of patients with active CD, and two metabolites (alanine and N-acetylated compounds) were significantly higher in serum of patients with CD when comparing jointly patients in the remission and active phase of the diseases. Contrary to the results obtained from the serum samples, the analysis of urine samples allowed to distinguish patients with IBD in remission from healthy control subjects. The metabolites of importance included in this case up-regulated acetoacetate and down-regulated citrate, hippurate, taurine, succinate, glycine, alanine and formate., Conclusion: NMR-based metabolomic fingerprinting of serum and urine has the potential to be a useful tool in distinguishing patients with active IBD from those in remission.