Three new species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomeromycota) and Acaulospora gedanensis revised.

Studies of the morphology and the 45S nuc rDNA phylogeny of three potentially undescribed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (phylum Glomeromycota) grown in cultures showed that one of these fungi is a new species of the genus Diversispora in the family Diversisporaceae; the other two fungi are new Scutellospora species in Scutellosporaceae. Diversispora vistulana sp. nov. came from maritime sand dunes of the Vistula Spit in northern Poland, and S. graeca sp. nov. and S. intraundulata sp. nov. originally inhabited the Mediterranean dunes of the Peloponnese Peninsula, Greece. In addition, the morphological description of spores of Acaulospora gedanensis, originally described in 1988, was emended based on newly found specimens, and the so far unknown phylogeny of this species was determined. The phylogenetic analyses of 45S sequences placed this species among Acaulospora species with atypical phenotypic and histochemical features of components of the two inner germinal walls.

Leiomyosarcoma in adrenal gland.

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Factors determining the quality of life in patients undergoing radical surgery due to malignant tumors of the rectum.

INTRODUCTION: Rectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies in developed countries. However, despite the increasingly better preoperative diagnostics, adaptation of surgical techniques to the location and advancement of the tumor, the combination of surgical treatment with neoadjuvant therapy and adjuvant treatment, standardized control tests, Poland still has not obtained satisfactory results regarding long-term survival. In addition, the effects of the therapy often differ significantly from those expected by patients and the doctors treating them. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the effects of rectal cancer treatment among patients of the General and Oncological Surgery Clinic of the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin. The impact of numerous factors on postoperative quality of life was analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2007 - 2015, 263 radical resection procedures were performed in patients with diagnosed rectal cancer. Retrospectively, based on medical records, a database was created covering a range of clinical data. Information about death dates of some patients was obtained at the Registry Office in Szczecin. A survey supplementing clinical data and standardized quality of life assessment forms (EORTC QLQ - C30 and CR29) were sent to 120 living patients. A telephone conversation was carried out with some patients who did not respond to the surveys. Finally, data from 90 people was collected, which represents 75% of the patients enrolled in the study. Patients quality of life was assessed using EORTC questionnaire evaluation guides. RESULTS: The patients quality of life worsened the most as a result of anorectal dysfunction. Incontinence of gases and stool, urgency and difficulty in defecation were demonstrated primarily in patients undergoing low rectal resection and irradiation. Patients undergoing radiotherapy, as a result of persistent low anterior resection syndrome, were forced to partially or completely withdraw from professional activity and to limit the pursuit of their interests. Their contacts with family, friends and acquaintances have also deteriorated. The presence of the intestinal stoma significantly affected the deterioration of the reception of the body's own image. However, no relation was found between the existence of the fistula and other aspects of the patients everyday life, including functioning in life and social roles. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the acceptable postoperative quality of life of patients with fistula and numerous imperfections of sphincter preserving techniques, operations resulting in terminal ostomy should not be considered as an extremity, and in the case of tumors of the lower rectum with unaffected sphincters, they should be considered as alternative methods for low anterior resection.

New Glomeromycotan Taxa, Dominikia glomerocarpica sp. nov. and Epigeocarpum crypticum gen. nov. et sp. nov. From Brazil, and Silvaspora gen. nov. From New Caledonia.

Examination of fungal specimens collected in the Atlantic rain forest ecosystems of Northeast Brazil revealed many potentially new epigeous and semihypogeous glomerocarp-producing species of the phylum Glomeromycota. Among them were two fungi that formed unorganized epigeous glomerocarps with glomoid spores of almost identical morphology. The sole structure that distinguished the two fungi was the laminate layer 2 of their three-layered spore wall, which in spores of the second fungus crushed in PVLG-based mountants contracted and, consequently, transferred into a crown-like structure. Surprisingly, phylogenetic analyses of sequences of the 18S-ITS-28S nuc rDNA and the rpb1 gene indicated that these glomerocarps represent two strongly divergent undescribed species in the family Glomeraceae. The analyses placed the first in the genus Dominikia, and the second in a sister clade to the monospecific generic clade Kamienskia with Kamienskia bistrata. The first species was described here as Dominikia glomerocarpica sp. nov. Because D. glomerocarpica is the first glomerocarp-forming species in Dominikia, the generic description of this genus was emended. The very large phylogenetic distance and the fundamental morphological differences between the second species and K. bistrata suggested us to introduce a new genus, here named as Epigeocarpum gen. nov., and name the new species Epigeocarpum crypticum sp. nov. In addition, our analyses also focused on an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus originally described as Rhizophagus neocaledonicus, later transferred to the genus Rhizoglomus. The analyses indicated that this species does not belong to any of these two genera but represents a new clade at the rank of genus in the Glomeraceae, here described as Silvaspora gen. nov.

The usefulness of D-dimer in diagnosis and prediction of venous thromboembolism in patients with abdominal malignancy.

THE AIM: of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of D-dimer evaluation in the diagnosis and prediction of venous thromboembolism (VTE) of lower extremities in patients operated on for abdominal tumors depending on the chosen cut-off point for this parameter. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 150 patients operated on for abdominal cancer in our department between October 2014 and June 2016. In these patients, concentration of D-dimer was determined, medical histories were taken, and physical examinations were performed. Ultrasound exams of the veins of the lower limbs were performed three times in every patient in order to confirm or exclude VTE. RESULTS: When a standard cut-off point (500 ng/ml) was used, in 46% of cancer patients D-dimer values were elevated despite the lack of VTE. We did not detect any influence of cancer stage on the value of D-dimer. However, if cut-off point was 1440 ng/ml, which has been suggested in the literature, only 14% of patients were false positive. When the upper cut-off value for D-dimer was raised, the effect of cancer stage on the value of this parameter could be seen. CONCLUSION: The concentration of D-dimer is often elevated in patients with active cancer, but is not a sufficient criterion for diagnosis of VTE. The concentration of D-dimer before surgery does not determine the risk of postoperative thromboembolic complications. This is undoubtedly related to the widespread use of effective thromboprophylaxis. According to the literature, ultrasound is the optimum method for detection of VTE in surgically treated cancer patients. The effect of cancer stage on the value of D-dimer is revealed only when the cut-off point in this group is 1440 ng/ml, instead of 500 ng/ml which is used for the general population.