O współczesnym statusie kulturoznawstwa: prolegomena do dyskusji. W kontekście Kongresu Polskiego Kulturoznawstwa, Wrocław, 16–17 lutego 2018

Prolegomena do zaganień kondycji oraz przyszłości nauk o kulturze, dyscyplin kulturoznawczych i ośrodków kulturoznawczych w Polsce poruszanych podczas Kongresu Polskiego Kulturoznawstwa

Case Report: Adrenocortical carcinoma in children—symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Adrenocortical carcinomas are extremely rare in the paediatric population. Most of them are hormone-secretive lesions; therefore, they should be taken into consideration in a child with signs of precocious puberty and/or Cushing’s syndrome symptoms. Nonetheless, differentiation from benign adrenal tumours is necessary. We report a rare case of adrenocortical carcinoma in a girl and a literature review using the PubMed database. A four-year-old girl presented with rapidly progressing precocious puberty and signs of Cushing’s syndrome. Imaging of the abdomen revealed a large heterogeneous solid mass. Histopathologic evaluation confirmed adrenocortical carcinoma with high mitotic activity, atypical mitoses, pleomorphism, necrosis, and vascular invasion. After tumourectomy, a decrease of previously elevated hormonal blood parameters was observed. Genetic tests confirmed Li Fraumeni syndrome. Adrenocortical carcinoma should be suspected in children with premature pubarche and signs of Cushing’s syndrome. Diagnosis must be based on clinical presentation, hormonal tests, imaging, and histopathological evaluation. Complete surgical resection of the tumour is the gold standard. Oncological treatment in children is not yet well-studied and should be individually considered, especially in advanced, inoperable carcinomas with metastases. Genetic investigations are useful for determining the prognosis in patients and their siblings

Influence of soil contaminated with cadmium on cell death in the digestive epithelium of soil centipede Lithobius forficatus (Myriapoda, Chilopoda)

Cadmium is a heavy metal that is treated as an environmental pollutant (air, water, soil). In order to understand the potential effects of cadmium in soil and soil invertebrates, it is important to describe all alterations which appear at different levels in organisms. The main aim of this study was to investigate, analyze and describe the alterations caused by cadmium short- and long-term intoxication at different levels in the organisms: from tissues to cells and organelles. In addition, the activation of cell deathmechanisms that take part in homeostasismaintenance according to cadmium has been studied. Therefore, as the species for this project, a terrestrial and well-known widespread European species – the centipede Lithobius forficatus (Myriapoda, Chilopoda, Lithobiomorpha) – was chosen. This omnivorous species lives under upper layers of soil, under stones, litter, rocks, and leaves, and it is also commonly found in human habitats. The animals were divided into three groups: C – the control group, animals cultured in a horticultural soil; Cd1 – animals cultured in a horticultural soil supplemented with 80 mg/kg (dry weight) of CdCl2, 12 days – short-term exposure; Cd2 – animals cultured in a horticultural soil supplemented with 80 mg/kg (dry weight) of CdCl2, 45 days – long-term exposure. The midgut was isolated from each specimen and it was prepared for analysis using some histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical methods. Our studies showed that short-term intoxication causes intensification of autophagy and digestion of reserve material, while long-term exposure to this heavy metal causes activation of cell death processes together with inhibition of autophagy connected with the lack of reserve material. Additionally, we can infer that autophagy and cell death are nutrient deprivation-induced processes. Finally, we can conclude that short- and long-term exposure of soil centipede to cadmium affects different mechanisms and processes of cell death

CT-image based conformal high-dose-rate brachytherapy boost in the conservative treatment of stage I – II breast cancer – introducing the procedure

AimBreast-conserving surgery (BCS) followed by radiotherapy (RT) has become the standard treatment for the majority of patients with early breast cancer. With regard to boost technique some disagreements are found between groups that are emphasizing the value of electron boost treatment and groups pointing out the value of interstitial brachytherapy (BT) boost treatment. We present the preliminary results in treating selected patients with early-stage breast cancer using high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT) as a boost after breast conservation therapy (BCT).Materials/MethodsBetween January 2006 and August 2007, a total of 58 female patients with first and second stage breast cancer underwent BCT. This therapeutic procedure involves BCS, whole breast radiation therapy (WBRT) and additional irradiation to the tumour bed (boost) using interstitial HDR-BT via flexible implant tubes. A 10 Gy boost dose was received by all patients. The treatment planning was based on CT-guided 3D (three-dimensional) reconstruction of the surgical clips, implant tubes and critical structures localization (skin and ribs). The accuracy of tumour bed localization, the conformity of planning target volume and treated volume were analyzed.ResultsThe evaluations of implant parameters involved the use of: dose volume histogram (DVH), the volume encompassed by the 100% reference isodose surface (V100%), the high dose volume calculation (V150%, V200%, V300%), the dose non-uniformity ratio (DNR), and the conformity index (COIN). Our results were as follows: the mean PTV volume, the mean high dose volume (V150%; V200%; V300%), the DNR and COIN mean value were estimated at 57.38, 42.98, 21.38, 7.90, 0.52 and 0.83 respectively.ConclusionsCT-guided 3D HDR-BT is most appropriate for planning the boost procedure after BT especially in large breast volume, in cases with a deep seated tumour bed, as well as in patients with high risk for local recurrences. This technique reduces the possibility of geographical miss. Moreover, better conformity could be achieved between planning the target volume and the treated volume, even at the cost of worse dose homogeneity. The irregular 3D shape of the target volume and the normal tissue structures can be correctly localized on the basis of visual information obtained from cross-sectional CT imaging. Better local control rate with fewer side effects might be achieved with this technique based on CT imaging

Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation in the treatment of breast cancer — current status and treatment methods

Podstawowym powodem opracowania techniki przyspieszonego częściowego napromieniania raka piersi (AcceleratedPartial Breast Irradiation — APBI) było założenie, że prowadzi ono do uzyskania równorzędnego odsetkakontroli miejscowej wraz z mniejszą toksycznością leczenia w porównaniu z napromienianiem całej piersi wiązkamizewnętrznymi (Whole Breast Radiation Therapy — WBRT) po chirurgicznym leczeniu oszczędzającym (Breast ConservingSurgery — BCS). Jest to metoda radioterapii skierowana do wyselekcjonowanej grupy pacjentek we wczesnej faziezaawansowania choroby. Głównym powodem wprowadzenia do praktyki klinicznej APBI było niskie ryzyko wznowymiejscowej w tej samej piersi poza pierwotnie zajętym kwadrantem. Opublikowano szereg badań sugerującychmożliwość rezygnacji z WBRT. Dotychczas dostępne są wyniki 3 badań randomizowanych i 19 nierandomizowanych,w których badano skuteczność APBI. W poszczególnych badaniach klinicznych stosowano różne techniki APBI, dawkii frakcjonowanie, ale zasadnicza różnica w stosowanych technikach dotyczyła określenia obszaru do napromieniania(Clinical Target Volume — CTV i Planning Target Volume — PTV). Obecnie czekamy na wyniki siedmiu randomizowanychbadań klinicznych dotyczących zastosowania APBI w raku piersi po leczeniu oszczędzającym. W artykule dokonanoprzeglądu stosowanych technik, zasad kwalifi kacji oraz wyników leczenia metodą APBI.Breast conserving surgery (BCS) with following radiotherapy (EBRT) of the conserved breast became widely acceptedin the last decades for the treatment of early invasive breast cancer. The standard technique of EBRT after BCS is totreat the whole breast up to a total dose of 45 Gy to 50 Gy. Additional dose is given to the treated volume after EBRTto boost a portion of the breast to a higher dose. However, over the past 10 years, the application of radiotherapy inbreast cancer has changed. In early stage breast cancer, research has shown that the area requiring radiation treatmentto prevent the cancer from local recurrence is the breast tissue that surrounds the area where the initial cancerwas removed. Because this typically includes only a part of the breast, APBI is now used to treat the targeted portionof the breast and as a result allows accelerated delivery of the radiation dose in four to fi ve days. Published resultsof APBI techniques are very promising. In this article the current status, indications, technical aspects and recentlypublished results of APBI in breast cancer treatment are presented

d-Glucan from Fruiting Body and Mycelium of Cerrena unicolor (Bull.) Murrill: Structural Characterization and Use as a Novel Inducer of Mutanase

Water-insoluble, alkali-soluble polysaccharide (marked as ASP) was extracted from the vegetative mycelium and fruiting body of Cerrena unicolor strain. Monosaccharide examination of ASP demonstrated that the isolated biopolymer was composed mainly of glucose, xylose, and mannose monomers. The methylation investigation of studied polymers indicated that (1→3)-linked -d-Glcp is the major chain constituent (92.2% for glucans isolated from fruiting body and 90.1% from mycelium). 1 H NMR, FT-IR, and immunofluorescent labelling determinations confirmed that the polysaccharides isolated from both fruiting body and mycelium of . unicolor are (1→3)--d-glucans. The obtained (1→3)--d-glucans showed differences in viscosity and similar characteristics in optical rotations. (1→3)--d-Glucans extracted from mycelium and fruiting body of C. unicolor were also used as potential and specific inducers of mutanase synthesis by Trichoderma harzianum. The highest mutanase activity (0.38 U/mL) was obtained after induction of enzyme by (1→3)--d-glucan isolated from the mycelium of C. unicolor, and this biopolymer has been suggested as a new alternative to streptococcal mutan for the mutanase induction in T. harzianum. (1→3)--d-Glucan-induced mutanase showed high hydrolysis potential in reaction with dextranase-pretreated mutan, where maximal degree of saccharification and solubilization of this bacterial homoglucan (83.1% and 78.4%, resp.) was reached in 3 h at 45 ∘ C

Maf1-mediated regulation of yeast RNA polymerase III is correlated with CCA addition at the 3' end of tRNA precursors

In eukaryotic cells tRNA synthesis is negatively regulated by the protein Maf1, conserved from yeast to humans. Maf1 from yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae mediates repression of trna transcription when cells are transferred from medium with glucose to medium with glycerol, a non-fermentable carbon source. The strain with deleted gene encoding Maf1 (maf1Δ) is viable but accumulates tRNA precursors. In this study tRNA precursors were analysed by RNA-Seq and Northern hybridization in wild type strain and maf1Δ mutant grown in glucose medium or upon shift to repressive conditions. A negative effect of maf1Δ mutant on the addition of the auxiliary CCA nucleotides to the 3′ end of pre-tRNAs was observed in cells shifted to unfavourable growth conditions. This effectwas reduced by overexpression of the yeast CCA1 gene encoding ATP(CTP):tRNA nucleotidyltransferase. The CCA sequence at the 3′ end is important for export of tRNA precursors from the nucleus and essential for tRNA charging with amino acids. Data presented here indicate that CCA-addition to intron-containing end-processed tRNA precursors is a limiting step in tRNA maturation when there is no Maf1 mediated RNA polymerase III (Pol III) repression. The correlation between CCA synthesis and Pol III regulation by Maf1 could be important in coordination of tRNA transcription, processing and regulation of translation

Myosin VI in PC12 cells plays important roles in cell migration and proliferation but not in catecholamine secretion

Myosin VI (MVI) is the only known myosin walking towards minus end of actin filaments and is believed to play distinct role(s) than other myosins. We addressed a role of this unique motor in secretory PC12 cells, derived from rat adrenal medulla pheochromocytoma using cell lines with reduced MVI synthesis (produced by means of siRNA). Decrease of MVI expression caused severe changes in cell size and morphology, and profound defects in actin cytoskeleton organization and Golgi structure. Also, significant inhibition of cell migration as well as cell proliferation was observed. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that MVI-deficient cells were arrested in G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle but did not undergo increased senescence as compared with control cells. Also, neither polyploidy nor aneuploidy were detected. Surprisingly, no significant effect on noradrenaline secretion was observed. These data indicate that in PC12 cells MVI is involved in cell migration and proliferation but is not crucial for stimulation-dependent catecholamine release