Silesian Botanical Garden : a proposal for agriculture and forestry

The Red List of endangered plant and anima] species has been enlarging alarmingly. Predictions are serious: within next twenty years about 20% of the world species will extinct. ln our industrial region almost 40% of vascular plant species is about to die out. For the past two hundred years 124 species of these plants have died out completely or vanished of the area of Poland. These are dramatic changes in agricultural methods that are responsible for this genetic erosion. First of all we are obliged to conserve biodiversity, not only in the natural environment, but also in agrocenoses. Another important task is to conserve gene recourses of the crops in order to provide a materiał for new varieties cultivation. One of the methods of gene recourses con­servation in a botanical gardens is the ex situ method meaning conservation of the genetic materiał of plants out of their natura] habitats. The ex situ conservation may be localized in: • seed storage, • in vitro tissues storage, • pollen storage, • field collections

The role of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the management of advanced ovarian cancer in geriatric patients

It is increasingly common for ovarian cancer to affect older women, with over half of all cases involving patients aged 65 years and older. Unfortunately, elderly patients with ovarian malignancy tend to be treated less aggressively than younger patients, with less extensive surgery and less intensive chemotherapy regimens. This is due to a variety of factors, such as overall medical fitness and the function of specific organs. Moreover, multiple morbidities are typical for geriatric patients and affect their eligibility for certain forms of cancer therapy as well as their treatment outcomes, which are commonly less satisfactory than in younger patients. Additionally, for fear of complications, treating physicians sometimes limit the extent of the necessary surgery, or adjust chemotherapy doses, even though such a course of management tends to be largely misguided. One available management option is neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by a surgical treatment known as interval debulking surgery. This type of combination therapy is associated with fewer postoperative complications, thus increasing the patient's chances of receiving a full course of adjuvant treatment. The decision to begin treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy tends to restrict later surgical therapy; however, under certain circumstances, this therapy can be a valid therapeutic option and, in fact, facilitate surgery. Prior to initiating therapy in elderly patients, their eligibility for combination therapy must be evaluated and the geriatric assessment of their performance and condition must be considered during the course of interdisciplinary preoperative management

Inguinal lymphadenectomy in case of vulvar carcinoma – point of view of a surgeon and a pathologist

Vulvar carcinoma is the fourth most prevalent cancer of genitals in women (accounting for 5% of all neoplasms from this group). Histologically, we differentiate epithelial neoplasms – in 90% of cases we are dealing keratotic squamous cell carcinoma – and non-epithelial ones. The majority of vulvar carcinomas occur at a postmenopausal age and are related to chronic bacterial or viral infection (human papilloma virus). Lymph from the vulva is drained to three groups of inguinal lymph nodes and to iliac lymph nodes. Depending on the location of a neoplastic lesion, vulvar carcinoma metastasizes unilaterally or bilaterally. The basic methods of treatment are surgical removal or inguinal lymphadenectomy – both superficial and deep. This article presents a detailed anatomy of the inguinal-iliac lymphatic system as well as the most widely used surgical techniques and the most common postoperative complications.Cooperation with the clinician is crucial to present a valuable pathology report. In hospitals with an anatomic pathology unit on-site, the surgeon should send a non-fixed material, and optimally – in sterile conditions. In hospitals without an anatomic pathology unit, the specimen must be fixed. For the pathologist's assessment of pN stage – in accordance with the TNM classification of 2010 – to be reliable, the perative specimen comprising the inguinal lymphatic system must include at least six lymph nodes. Obtaining satisfactory management results requires a good knowledge of anatomy of this area and surgical techniques as well as a proper preparation of the specimen for pathologic examination

Czyżnie i ich znaczenie w ochronie różnorodności biologicznej. Stare czyżnie w Śląskim Ogrodzie Botanicznym

One of the undertakings of Silesian Botanical Garden is the preservation of biodiversity of natural associations occurring on its area. The most characteristic associations are field shrubs and hedges (Rhamno-Prunutea Rivas Goday et. Garb. 1961). They play an important role in agriculture, by increasing the amount of yields, soil prevention against degradation and erosion, improving the humus level and the availability of nutrient components. The presence of field shrubs and hedges improve the natural resistance of agrocenosis by increasing their biodiversity and creating suitable conditions for living, breeding and nestling of many species of animals and it is also a suitable environment for wild plants.This allows for significance reduction of used pesticides and other substances of chemical protection. That is why the field shrubs and trees are important factors influencing on agricultural environment. Besides that, field shrubs and hedges are correlated with the water management, decreasing the evaporation of water from the soil and improving the availability of water and nutrient components for the plants. The filed shrubs and hedges increase also the recreational and educational value of the region

Współczesne trendy w badaniach strukturalnych kambium

The study of the structure of the vascular cambium is of fundamental importance to deepening knowledge of the secondary growth of woody plants. Since it helps to understand the influence of internal and external environmental factors of tree growth on the quality of wood, it has also a practical value. Structural investigations of the vascular cambium can be divided into three main groups a) descriptive, b) developmental and c) applied. This short review points out problems connected with the research of the structure of cambium bring up in contemporary literature

Possible usage of the blood serum concentration measurements of sHLA-G and sRCAS1 in women treated surgically for vulvar cancer as an indicator of the status of the tumor microenvironment

Introduction: The suppression of the immune system constitutes a crucial event in the development of malignancy. Assessment of the blood serum concentration levels of sRCAS1 and sHLA-G may demonstrate the suppressive influence of cancer cells on the immune system as these proteins are involved in the evasion of immune system surveillance by cancer cells. Since, in some cases, surgery may restore proper immune system activity, we aimed to measure the blood serum concentration levels of both these proteins over the course of the applied therapy. Material and methods: We measured the sRCAS1 and sHLA-G blood serum concentration levels in a group of 19 patients treated surgically for vulvar carcinoma. We assessed the levels of these proteins by a series of measurements taken before and after the surgical intervention. The concentration levels of sRCAS1 and sHLA-G were established by means of ELISA kit. Results: In our study we observed that a statistically significant decrease in both sHLA-G and sRCAS1 blood serum concentration levels followed radical surgical intervention due to vulvar cancer. Conclusions: The detected levels of the blood serum concentration of these proteins may be a useful indicator of the status of the tumor microenvironment and may help to assess the degree of restoration of immune system activity following radical surgical vulvectomy.Wstęp: Supresja układu odpornościowego stanowi kluczowe zjawisko w rozwoju nowotworu złośliwego. Stężenie sRCAS1 i sHLA-G w osoczu odzwierciedla stopień supresji układu odpornościowego przez komórki rakowe, ponieważ białka te pośredniczą w mechanizmie chroniącym komórki rakowe przed wykryciem przez układ odpornościowy. W niektórych przypadkach zabieg chirurgiczny może przywrócić prawidłową aktywność układu odpornościowego, dlatego celem autorów niniejszej pracy była ocena stężenia obu tych białek w trakcie leczenia. Materiał i metody: Mierzono stężenie sRCAS1 i sHLA-G w osoczu 19 pacjentek leczonych operacyjnie z powodu raka sromu. Poziom tych białek oceniano za pomocą serii pomiarów dokonanych przed i po zabiegu operacyjnym. Pomiarów dokonywano za pomocą zestawu wykorzystującego technikę ELISA. Wyniki: Stwierdzono statystycznie znamienny spadek stężenia osoczowego zarówno sRCAS1, jak i sHLA-G po radykalnym usunięciu raka sromu. Wnioski: Poziom ww. białek w osoczu może stanowić przydatny wskaźnik stanu mikrośrodowiska guza i może pomóc ocenić stopień normalizacji aktywności układu odpornościowego po radykalnej operacji sromu