Craniospinal radiotherapy in children: Electron- or photon-based technique of spinal irradiation

AbstractBackgroundThe prone position and electron-based technique for craniospinal irradiation (CSI) have been standard in our department for many years. But this immobilization is difficult for the anaesthesiologist to gain airway access. The increasing number of children treated under anaesthesia led us to reconsider our technique.AimThe purpose of this study is to report our new photon-based technique for CSI which could be applied in both the supine and the prone position and to compare this technique with our electron-based technique.Materials and methodsBetween November 2007 and May 2008, 11 children with brain tumours were treated in the prone position with CSI. For 9 patients two treatment plans were created: the first one using photons and the second one using electron beams for spinal irradiation. We prepared seven 3D-conformal photon plans and four forward planned segmented field plans. We compared 20 treatment plans in terms of target dose homogeneity and sparing of organs at risk.ResultsIn segmented field plans better dose homogeneity in the thecal sac volume was achieved than in electron-based plans. Regarding doses in organs at risk, in photon-based plans we obtained a lower dose in the thyroid but a higher one in the heart and liver.ConclusionsOur technique can be applied in both the supine and prone position and it seems to be more feasible and precise than the electron technique. However, more homogeneous target coverage and higher precision of dose delivery for photons are obtained at the cost of slightly higher doses to the heart and liver

Nauka-Sztuka-Edukacja. Innowacyjny model diagnozy, metod, form pracy i opieki nad uczniem zdolnym plastycznie

Publikacja zawiera materiały zgromadzone w roku 2012 podczas wizyt studyjnych w Ukrainie, Słowenii oraz na Słowacji, zorganizowanych przez Krakowską Akademię im. Andrzeja Frycza Modrzewskiego. Uczestnikami wizyt byli naukowcy i studenci realizujący projekt pt.: Nauka – Sztuka – Edukacja, opracowanie i upowszechnianie Innowacyjnego Modelu diagnozy, metod, form pracy i opieki nad dzieckiem zdolnym plastycznie, w ramach Małopolskiego Regionalnego Programu Operacyjnego na lata 2007–2013The present publication is the result of the project entitled Science – Art – Education. Development and popularisation of an innovative model of diagnosis, care and work with an artistically gifted pupil. The project has been fi nanced from the funds of the Małopolskie Regional Operational Programme and it realises action 8.2. Building the position of Małopolska in European co-operation networks.Małopolski Regionalny Program Operacyjny na lata 2007–2013 (MRPO

Mycobiota of Fine Roots of Pseudotsuga menziesii Introduced to the Native Forest Environment

The mycobiota of the fine roots of Pseudotsuga menziesii were studied as a measure of the adaptation of this alien species to new soil and climatic conditions. We hypothesized that after approximately 130 years of growth in a given habitat, the fungal community colonizing the fine roots of introduced trees would resemble the biota of Pinus sylvestris and Fagus sylvatica in surrounding stands of similar age and site conditions. The genetic material isolated from the fine roots was subjected to metagenomic analysis. We recorded 33, 97 and 95 OTUs exclusively from root samples of Douglas fir, beech and pine, respectively; 124 were common to all sample types. The biota from the roots of P. menziesii featured a less diverse taxonomic composition and were characterized by the highest proportion of symbiotrophs (71.8%) versus saprothrophs (5.6%) and pathogens (0.24%). Some fungal taxa (19) in the roots of P. menziesii were common with the biota in the roots of other adjacent trees, while some (7) were unique to Douglas fir. Our results indicate a locally differentiated strategy of naturalness of fungi inhabiting soil and roots of P. menziesii, although 130 years have passed since the introduction of the species

Mycobiota of Fine Roots of <i>Pseudotsuga menziesii</i> Introduced to the Native Forest Environment

The mycobiota of the fine roots of Pseudotsuga menziesii were studied as a measure of the adaptation of this alien species to new soil and climatic conditions. We hypothesized that after approximately 130 years of growth in a given habitat, the fungal community colonizing the fine roots of introduced trees would resemble the biota of Pinus sylvestris and Fagus sylvatica in surrounding stands of similar age and site conditions. The genetic material isolated from the fine roots was subjected to metagenomic analysis. We recorded 33, 97 and 95 OTUs exclusively from root samples of Douglas fir, beech and pine, respectively; 124 were common to all sample types. The biota from the roots of P. menziesii featured a less diverse taxonomic composition and were characterized by the highest proportion of symbiotrophs (71.8%) versus saprothrophs (5.6%) and pathogens (0.24%). Some fungal taxa (19) in the roots of P. menziesii were common with the biota in the roots of other adjacent trees, while some (7) were unique to Douglas fir. Our results indicate a locally differentiated strategy of naturalness of fungi inhabiting soil and roots of P. menziesii, although 130 years have passed since the introduction of the species

Marker assisted selection of new high oleic and low linolenic winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) inbred lines revealing good agricultural value.

Development of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) breeding lines producing oil characterized by high oleic and low linolenic acid content is an important goal of rapeseed breeding programs worldwide. Such kind of oil is ideal for deep frying and can also be used as a raw material for biodiesel production. By performing chemical mutagenesis using ethyl methanesulfonate, we obtained mutant winter rapeseed breeding lines that can produce oil with a high content of oleic acid (C18:1, more than 75%) and a low content of linolenic acid (C18:3, less than 3%). However, the mutant lines revealed low agricultural value as they were characterized by low seed yield, low wintering, and high content of glucosinolates in seed meal. The aim of this work was to improve the mutant lines and develop high-oleic and low-linolenic recombinants exhibiting both good oil quality and high agronomic value. The plant materials used in this study included high-oleic and low-linolenic mutant breeding lines and high-yielding domestic canola-type breeding lines of good agricultural value with high oleic acid content and extremely low glucosinolates content. Field trials were conducted in four environments, in a randomized complete block design. Phenotyping was performed for wintering, yield of seed and oil, and seed quality traits. Genotype × environment interaction was investigated with respect to the content of C18:1 and C18:3 acids in seed oil. Genotyping was done for the selection of homozygous high oleic and low linolenic lines using allele-specific CAPS markers and SNaPshot assay, respectively. Finally, new high oleic and low linolenic winter rapeseed recombinant lines were obtained for use as a starting material for the development of new varieties that may be of high value on the oil crop market

Valley polarization of exciton–polaritons in monolayer WSe 2 in a tunable microcavity

International audienc

Tunable optical spin Hall effect in a liquid crystal microcavity

The spin Hall effect, a key enabler in the field of spintronics, underlies the capability to control spin currents over macroscopic distances. The effect was initially predicted by D'Yakonov and Perel1 and has been recently brought to the foreground by its realization in paramagnetic metals by Hirsch2 and in semiconductors3 by Sih et al. Whereas the rapid dephasing of electrons poses severe limitations to the manipulation of macroscopic spin currents, the concept of replacing fermionic charges with neutral bosons such as photons in stratified media has brought some tangible advances in terms of comparatively lossless propagation and ease of detection4–7. These advances have led to several manifestations of the spin Hall effect with light, ranging from semiconductor microcavities8,9 to metasurfaces10. To date the observations have been limited to built-in effective magnetic fields that underpin the formation of spatial spin currents. Here we demonstrate external control of spin currents by modulating the splitting between transverse electric and magnetic fields in liquid crystals integrated in microcavities.</p