Usefulness in developing an optimal training program and distinguishing between performance levels of the athlete’s body by using of thermal imaging

The goal of the training is to enable the body to perform prolonged physical e ort without reducing its e ectiveness while maintaining the body’s homeostasis. Homeostasis is the ability of the system to maintain, in dynamic balance, the stability of the internal environment. Equally as important as monitoring the body’s thermoregulation phenomena during exercise seems to be the evaluation of these mechanisms after physical e ort, when the athlete’s body returns to physiological homeostasis. Restoring homeostasis is an important factor in body regeneration and has a significant impact on preventing overtraining. In this work we present a training protocol using a rowing ergometer, which was planned to be carried out in a short time and which involves working the majority of the athlete’s muscles, allowing a full assessment of the body’s thermal parameters after stopping exercise and during the body’s return to thermal equilibrium and homeostasis. The significant di erences between normalized mean body surface temperature obtained for the cyclist before the training period and strength group as well as before and 10 min after training were obtained. Such observation seems to bring indirectly some information about the sportsperson’s e ciency due to di erences in body temperature in the first 10 min of training when sweat does not play a main role in surface temperature. Nearly 1 C drop of mean body temperature has been measured due to the period of training. It is concluded that thermovision not only allows you to monitor changes in body temperature due to sports activity, but also allows you to determine which of the athletes has a high level of body e ciency. The average maximum body temperature of such an athlete is higher (32.5 C) than that of an athlete who has not trained regularly (30.9 C) and whose body probably requires further training

Photodynamic effects of two water soluble porphyrins evaluated on human malignant melanoma cells in vitro

Two water soluble porphyrins: meso-tetra-4-N-methylpyridyl-porphyrin iodide (P1) and 5,10-di-(4-acetamidophenyl)-15,20-di-(4-N-methylpyridyl) porphyrin (P2) were synthesised and evaluated in respect to their photochemical and photophysical prop-erties as well as biological activity. Cytotoxic and phototoxic effects were evaluated in human malignant melanoma Me45 line using clonogenic assay, cytological study of micronuclei, apoptosis and necrosis frequency and inhibition of growth of megacolonies. Both porphyrins were characterised by high UV and low visible light absorptions. Dark toxicity measured on the basis of the clonogenic assay and inhibi- tion of megacolony growth area indicated that P1 was non-toxic at concentrations up to 50 g/ml (42.14 M) and P2 at concentrations up to 20 g/ml (16.86 M). The photodynamic effect induced by red light above 630 nm indicated that both porphy-rins were able to inhibit growth of melanoma megacolonies at non-toxic concentra-tions. Cytologic examination showed that the predominant mode of cell death was ne-crosis

Physical parameters in thermal imaging of basal cell cancer patients treated with high-dose-rate brachytherapy — first study

Background: The basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is often treated by surgery or radiotherapy using ionizing radiation. While there is an established diagnostic path before treatment and also for the follow-up there are no good noninvasive methods objectifying irradiated area evolution during treatment. The main goal of preliminary studies was to try to answer if there are any useful information that can be derived from temperature effects of high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy in treatment of BCC. Moreover, the temperature gradient was introduced as a physical parameter characterizing the thermal map of the lesion, its surroundings and reference area, which provided information about cancer tissue thermal reaction to brachytherapy. Materials and methods: Thirty-three patients suffering from BCC were monitored with thermovision during the brachytherapy treatment. All lesions were diagnosed as superficial and were confirmed with histopathology examination. Results: Results of the study showed two groups of patients characterized with two thermal maps and temperature gradient describing the lesion and surrounding area of BCC. The first group was characterized by higher temperature of the lesion than the surrounding tissue temperature (mean dT = 0,41°) whereas the other one, with lower lesion temperature (mean dT = –0.42°). It seems that the temperature changes observed in designated areas before and after therapy may provide physicians with additional information which could be useful in planning the treatment process, especially when considering temperature gradient changes during therapy. Conclusions:Although the data obtained indicate the possibilities of temperature distribution in pre-irradiation cases, further research is required for estimation of clinical effects of treatment

Thermovision as a Tool for Athletes to Verify the Symmetry of Work of Individual Muscle Segments

In the presented research, we characterised the temperature profiles and the degree of preparation for exercise of individual muscle groups of athletes We hypothesise that by means of thermal imaging studies, the effectiveness of the warm-up can be monitored to determine whether the effort of individual muscles is equal and symmetrical, which can help to avoid a potential injury. In the study, thermographic imaging was performed on a group of athletes exercising on a rowing ergometer involving almost 80% of the muscle parts of the human body for intense and symmetrical exercise. Thermovision studies have confirmed, based on the increased temperature of the muscle areas, that the rowing ergometer involves many muscle groups in training. Moreover, based on the shape of the temperature function obtained from individual body regions of interest, it was shown that conventional exercise on a rowing ergometer causes almost symmetrical work of the right and left sides of the body. Obtained temperature changes in most of the studied muscle areas showed minimum temperature reached the beginning of training—mostly phases 1 and 2. During the subsequent phases, the temperature increase was monitored, stopping at resting temperature. Significantly, temperature variations did not exceed 0.5 °C in all post-training phases. Statistical analyses did not show any significant differences in the symmetry of right and left muscle areas corresponding to the muscle location temperature. Thermal imaging may be an innovative wholly non-invasive and safe method, because checking induces adaptation processes, which may become indicators of an athlete’s efficiency. The imaging can be continuously repeated, and automatic comparison of average temperature or temperature difference may provide some clues that protect athletes from overtraining or serious injuries

Non-irradiated Bystander Fibroblasts Attenuate Damage to Irradiated Cancer Cells

Introduction and aim: Radiation-induced bystander effect is described as a different type of responses, displayed by non-irradiated neighbouring cells, induced by signals transmitted from irradiated cells. These responses in bystander cells include genetic damage (SCE, micronuclei, genomic instability), apoptosis induction and other non-necessarily detrimental effects. Bystander effect might bear some implications for coexisting normal cells non-targeted by cancer radiotherapy. However, it is possible, that bystander effect can act in opposite direction, and non-irradiated cells can in some way influence the response of targeted cells. Our experiments in vitro were aimed at evaluating this concept. Materials and methods: Lung Lewis carcinoma cells (LLC), growing in monolayer in 6-well plates, were irradiated with 2 or 4 Gy dose of X-rays (using a 6 MeV accelerator suited for therapeutic purposes). After irradiation, the cells were co-cultured with non-irradiated NIH3T3 mice fibroblasts, the latter growing (in monolayer) in special inserts. Such system allowed separation of the two kinds of cells, with medium freely circulating through the separation membrane (pore size 0.4 µm). Thus, species released by irradiated cells could be transmitted to non-irradiated neighbours and vice versa. Results and discussion: The bystander effects, caused by irradiated cancer cells, which were observed in non-targeted fibroblasts included dose-dependent elevation of micronucleus and apoptosis frequency indicating that irradiated cancer cells can induce damage in normal fibroblast cells. However, irradiated LLC cancer cells co-incubated with fibroblasts presented lower levels of this type of cytogenetic damage and apoptosis in comparison with LLC cells incubated after irradiation without fibroblasts on inserts or without inserts at all. Our current studies attempt to search for agents and signalling responsible for observed bilateral bystander effects. Supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and High Education, grant no N406 101/31/387

Determination of Internal Temperature by Measuring the Temperature of the Body Surface Due to Environmental Physical Factors—First Study of Fever Screening in the COVID Pandemic

The SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic has shown that the use of a contact thermometer to verify the elevated body temperature of a suspected person carries a risk of spreading disease. The perfect solution seems to be the use of thermal imaging as a diagnostic method in fever evaluation. The aim of the research is to develop an algorithm for thermovision measurements in fever screening standards in the context of the impact of various weather conditions on the temperature of people entering the public institution. Each examined person had two thermal images of the face—AP and lateral projection. Using a T1020 FLIR thermal camera with a resolution of 1024 × 768 pixels; the mean temperature was measured from the area of the forehead, the maximum forehead, the corners of the eyes, the inside of the mouth and the external auditory canal temperature. On the other hand, using classic contact thermometers, the temperature in the armpit and ear was measured. The obtained preliminary results showed very strong and positive correlations between the temperature in the ear measured with an ear thermometer and the maximum, minimum and average forehead temperature. These correlations oscillate at approximately r = 0.6, but the highest value of Spearman coefficient was obtained for the mean temperature of the forehead. Moreover, high correlations were also obtained between the temperature in the ear, measured with an ear thermometer, and the maximum temperature in the corners of the eyes and in the ear, measured with a thermal imaging camera. These values were, respectively, r = 0.54, r = 0.65. In summarizing, remote body temperature measurement taken with a thermal camera can be useful in the assessment of the body’s core temperature

Dose-rate Effects are Dependent on Cell Lines

Background: A number of studies, including our own, have indicated that low dose rate of ionizing radiation might be (within some range) more effective in killing cells than high dose rate. This phenomenon is defined as inverse dose-rate effect and is mediated mainly by post radiation oxidative reactions, as radiation peroxidative damage increases with decreased dose rate. Knowledge of biological dose rate-dependent effects might have influence upon the extension of therapeutic maneuvers and limitation of normal tissue reaction. Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the dose-rate effects on lymphoblastic cells since this type of cells is a target in total body irradiation. Materials and methods: Lymphoblastic K562 cells were exposed to 2 Gy X-ray dose (using a 6 MeV accelerator for therapeutic purposes), at high dose rate (2Gy/min), low dose rate (0.07 Gy/min) and at high dose rate, but total dose was given as short separated pulses delivered during the same time as low dose rate (28 min 34 sec). Cells were suspended in RPMI medium supplemented with serum and irradiated in culture flasks. After irradiation cells were incubated for 0.5 60 h and micronuclei, apoptotic, necrotic and mitotic cells were scored under fluorescent microscope. Activity of superoxide dismutase isoenzymes (MnSOD and CuZuSOD), and glutathione peroxidise as well as end-product of lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) were also measured. Results and discussion: Our results indicated that 2 Gy dose at high dose rate induced higher yield of micronuclei than the same dose at low dose rate or 2 Gy dose given in many pulses. At the same time high dose-rate was less effective in apoptosis induction in K562 cells than low dose-rate or pulsed dose. This effect may differ in different cell lines, since our study on murine carcinoma AT478 cells indicated opposite trend. Furthermore, there was no dose-rate effect in the activation of antioxidant enzymes in lymphoblastic cells, whereas inverse dose rate effect was observed for carcinoma cells. The observed differences may also result from the type of cell growth, K562 grow in suspension, but AT478 are adherent cells. The adherent cells may suffer higher damage from low dose rate during long time of irradiation, in part due to bystander effects. The ongoing study is aimed at evaluating the mechanisms responsible for observed differences and possible signalling activated at different dose rate irradiation. Supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and High Education, grant no N406 101/31/387

Spectroscopic properties and photodynamic effects of new lipophilic porphyrin derivatives: Efficacy, localisation and cell death pathways

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photodynamic diagnostics (PDD) of cancer are based on the use of non-toxic dyes (photosensitisers) in combination with harmless visible light. This paper reports physicochemical properties, cell uptake, localisation as well as photodynamic efficiency of two novel lipophilic porphyrin derivatives, suitable for use as PDT sensitisers. Both compounds are characterised by high quantum yield of singlet oxygen generation which was measured by time-resolved phosphorescence. Photodynamic in vitro studies were conducted on three cancer cell lines. Results of cell survival tests showed negligible dark cytotoxicity but high phototoxicity. The results also indicate that cell death is dependent on energy dose and time following light exposure. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy both compounds were found to localise in the cytoplasm around the nucleus of the tumour cells. The mode of cell death was evaluated based on the morphological changes after differential staining.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TH0-4J9X306-1/1/a3dd4e8191b4f273644ef70f2a3cdbc

The applications of thermal imaging in sportsman’ efficiency rating using a rowing ergometer

Obrazowanie termiczne zyskuje na popularności w różnorodnych dziedzinach medycyny, w tym także w medycynie sportowej. Organizm człowieka jest doskonałym emiterem energii cieplnej, przez co możliwe jest obrazowanie powierzchni ciała w zakresie podczerwieni. Celem niniejszej pracy była próba zastosowania obrazowania termicznego w ocenie wydolności organizmu człowieka w zależności od jego poziomu wytrenowania. Obrazowanie termiczne wykonano bezpośrednio przed i po krótkim, dynamicznym treningu na ergometrze wioślarskim oraz 10, 20, 30, 40 i 50 minut po treningu. Badania przeprowadzono na dwóch grupach sportowców, tj. amatorów i profesjonalistów, liczących po 5 sportowców płci męskiej. Otrzymane wyniki wskazują na rozbieżności między grupami amatorów i profesjonalistów. Różnica temperatury przed i po wysiłku (dTprzed-po) wynosi odpowiednio 1,4oC oraz 1,2oC dla amatorów i profesjonalistów. Jednakże przebieg zmian temperatury od czasu dla obu grup wykazuje podobny kształt. Wstępne pomiary mogą wskazywać na przydatność metody obrazowania termicznego w weryfikacji planów treningowych sportowców. Otrzymane wyniki termiczne sugerują wpływ stażu treningowego na procesy adaptacyjne organizmu w kontekście zachodzących przemian motoryczno-metabolicznych.Thermal imaging is becoming more and more popular in medicine, including the sports medicine. The human body is an excellent heat energy emitter, which makes it possible to measuring the body surface in the infrared spectrum. The aim of study was to attempt to use thermal imaging in the human body performance rating depending on its level of training. Thermal imaging was performed immediately before and after a short and dynamic workout on a rowing ergometer and 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 minutes after the training. The study contains two groups of athletes, i.e. amateurs and professionals, both consisting of 5 male athletes. Obtained results show the differences between groups of amateurs and professionals. The temperature difference before and after the exercise (dTbefore-after) is 1,4oC and 1,2oC for individual groups, respectively. However, the shape of temperature changes over time shows similar shape for both groups. The preliminary results may indicate the usefulness of thermal imaging in athletes training plans monitoring. The thermal results obtained suggest the impact of training period on the body’s adaptation processes in the context of motor-metabolic changes