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There is now substantial evidence that zinc finger proteins are implicated in adiposity. High-frequency pretermination codons (PTCs) confer near-neutral selection. Aims were to datamine for high-frequency-PTC single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; n = 141; one linked with ERV3-1/ZNF117) from a database with > 550 000 variants and analyze possible association with obesity in a large Polish sample (n = 5757). Body mass index (BMI) was regressed (males/females together or separately) against genetic models. Stringent regression for rs67047829 uncovered an interaction-independent significant association between this high-frequency PTC-SNP and BMI with both sexes together: mean BMI ± standard deviation (n): GG, 25.4 ± 4.59 (3650), GA, 25.0 ± 4.28 (731); AA, 23.4 ± 3.60 (44); additive model adjusted for age and sex: p = 4.08x10− 5; beta: -0.0458, 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.0732:-0.0183; surviving Bonferroni correction; and with males: GG, 24.8 ± 4.94 (1878); GA, 24.2 ± 4.31 (386); AA, 22.4 ± 3.69 (23); p = 4.20x10− 4; beta: -0.0573, CI: -0.0947:-0.0199. For average-height males the difference between GG and AA genotypes would correspond to ~ 6 kg, suggesting considerable protection against obesity. rs67047829 is a PTC-SNP in ERV3-1 which lies upstream of, and shares an exonic region and possibly a promoter with, ZNF117, previously associated with adiposity and type 2 diabetes. As this result occurs in a near-neutral Mendelian setting, a drug target involving ERV3-1/ZNF117 potentially might provide considerable benefits with minimal side-effects. This result needs to be replicated, followed by analysis of splice-variant mRNA and protein expression.

Premature termination codons are usually single nucleotide polymorphisms which can have high, but ethnically-dependent, prevalence in a population. The aim of this fishing study was to assess all such premature termination codons (n=140) from a database (with 551915 exonic variants; HumanCoreExome-24 v1.0 and v1.1 BeadChip) with association with obesity in a large sample (n=5757) of the Polish population. Statistical analyses were conducted using regression models with body mass index (BMI) as a continuous variable. Interactions with year of birth and sex; and recessive, dominant and heterozygote models for males and females together and then separately were assessed. A significant association, which was interaction independent, was found between the ERV3-1: rs67047829 heterozygote model and BMI with both sexes together (p-value adjusted for year of birth and sex: 0.001; BMI for AA, GA, GG: means (standard deviations): 22.9 (3.68), 24.7 (4.44), 24.9 (4.59)). Corresponding values for males, but not for females, were also significant: (p=0.003; AA 22.2 (3.96), GA 23.8 (4.44), GG 24.3 (4.96)). As rs67047829 produces a stop codon in the Endogenous retrovirus group 3 member 1, envelope protein, the mRNA of which is highly expressed in adipose tissue, it is possible this premature termination codon provides protective effect against obesity.

(1) Background: Depressive symptoms often appear after surgical treatment. (2) Methods: We involved 41 adults who underwent bariatric surgery a minimum of 6 months before the study and had the Beck scale ≥12. We analysed patients’ mental state, gut barrier markers, faecal short chain fatty acids, and microbiota. (3) Results: Gut microbiota composition differed significantly among patients undergoing two different types of surgery (F = 1.64, p = 0.00002). Additionally, we discovered an association between short chain fatty acids and the Beck scale (F = 1.22, p = 0.058). The rearrangement of bacterial metabolites may be due to the patients’ use of increased dietary protein, with insufficient intake of products containing vegetable fiber (Diet Quality Index (DQI-I )adequacy 22.55 (±3.46) points). (4) Conclusions: Bariatric surgery affects the gut microbiota, which may play an important role in the development of depressive and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients after bariatric surgery. Low fiber consumption and increased levels of faecal isobutyric acid may lead to intestinal inflammation. There is a need for further research on this topic including a larger sample size.

Background Longevity is of considerable interest. Collation of recent data after World War II by the Human Mortality Database allowed analyses, previously unattainable, of modal death-ages for sufficient numbers of selected European cohorts. The aim was to track modes, medians and means (>60 years old (y)) of all-cause mortality for both sexes. Methods The only highest-quality, large-number Lexis data available were analyzed: from nine countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland; raw-data modes (and means/medians >60y, plus thin-plate-spline averages), were analyzed, plus pooled data. Results Here we show that for cohorts 1880-∼1900 dramatic sex differences existed between death-age changes with all countries except Iceland showing male modal negative trends lasting ∼10-20 years and medians in all countries near-constant or negative lasting ∼10-20 years; whereas females from all countries showed fairly constant positive trends (except Finnish modes and Norwegian medians). For cohorts ∼1900-1919 male and female modal trends were positive (except Dutch and Icelandic cohorts and Finnish females). The net results were that male mortality modes for Danish, Icelandic, Italian, Dutch, Swedish and Norwegian 1919 cohorts were roughly the same as for 1880 cohorts, whereas female death-age modes increased. Conclusion Results clarify previously knowledge concerning sex differences during this period. Despite improved environment in late adulthood over this period, this did not translate into increased male longevity and earlier events might have sealed their fate, especially in Denmark, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, aand Sweden (and, later, Iceland).

The Coronovirus Disease 2019 –(COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on the health care system and medical staff around the world. The orthopedic units were also subject to new restrictions and regulations. Therefore, the aim of our research was to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected orthopedic wards in the last year in Poland. We created an online survey, which was sent to 273 members of the Polish Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology. The survey contained 51 questions and was divided into main sections: Preparedness, Training, Stress, Reduction, Awareness. A total of 80 responses to the survey were obtained. In Preparedness section the vast majority of respondents (90%) replied, that they used personal protective equipment during the pandemic, however only 50% of the respondents indicated that their facility received a sufficient amount of personal protective equipment. Most of the respondents indicated that the pandemic negatively affected the quality of training of future orthopedists (69.4%) and that pandemic has had a negative impact on their operating skills (66,7%). In Reduction section most of the doctors indicated that the number of patients hospitalized in their departments decreased by 20–60% (61,2% respondents), while the number of operations performed decreased by 60–100% (60% respondents). The negative impact of pandemic on education was noticeable especially in the group of young orthopedic surgeons: 0–5 years of work experience (p = 0,029). Among the respondents, the level of stress increased over the last year from 4.8 to 6.9 (p