Entire hemithorax irradiation for Masaoka stage IVa thymomas

Thymomas are rare neoplasms that have an indolent growth with a preferentially intra-thoracic dissemination pattern. Surgery is currently the standard treatment of thymomas; however radiotherapy is often used in an adjuvant setting due to a high sensitivity of these tumors to such treatment. Postoperative entire hemithoracic irradiation has been used in selected Masaoka stage IVa cases after complete surgical excision of metastatic lesions.In the present article, the authors report three cases of Masaoka stage IVa thymoma that underwent entire hemithorax irradiation after surgical excision of metastatic lesions. The first two patients presented as stage IVa thymomas. The third case consisted of a pleural recurrence of a thymoma.Hemithoracic irradiation with low doses has been used by different authors; the available data shows that it is a well-tolerated treatment that could potentially lead to better loco-regional control and increased overall survival.     

Differential Binding of IgG and IgA to Mucus of the Female Reproductive Tract

Cells of the endocervix are responsible for the secretion of mucins, which provide an additional layer of protection to the female reproductive tract (FRT). This barrier is likely fortified with IgA as has previously been shown in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs of mice. Mucus associated IgA can facilitate clearance of bacteria. While a similar function for IgG has been proposed, an association with mucus has not yet been demonstrated. Here we find that IgA and IgG are differentially associated with the different types of mucus of the FRT. We observed that while both IgA and IgG are stably associated with cervical mucus, only IgG is associated with cervicovaginal mucus. These findings reveal that antibodies can bind tightly to mucus, where they can play a significant role in the fortification of the mucus barriers of the FRT. It may be possible to harness this interaction in the development of vaccines designed to protect the FRT mucosal barriers from sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV.     

Glioma Cell and Astrocyte Co-cultures As a Model to Study Tumor–Tissue Interactions: A Review of Methods

Astrocytes are a dominant cell type that envelopes the glioma bed. Typically, that is followed by formation of contacts between astrocytes and glioma cells and accompanied by change in astrocyte phenotype, a phenomenon known as a ‘reactive astrogliosis.’ Generally considered glioma-promoting, astrocytes have many controversial peculiarities in communication with tumor cells, which need thorough examination in vitro. This review is devoted to in vitro co-culture studies of glioma cells and astrocytes. Firstly, we list several fundamental works which allow understanding the modalities of co-culturing. Cell-to-cell interactions between astrocytes and glioma cells, the roles of astrocytes in tumor metabolism, and glioma-related angiogenesis are reviewed. In the review, we also discuss communications between glioma stem cells and astrocytes. Co-cultures of glioma cells and astrocytes are used for studying anti-glioma treatment approaches. We also enumerate surgical, chemotherapeutic, and radiotherapeutic methods assessed in co-culture experiments. In conclusion, we underline collisions in the field and point out the role of the co-cultures for neurobiological studies.     

Production of the antibiotic cyanobacterin LU-1 by Nostoc linckia CALU 892 (cyanobacterium)

Cyanobacterin LU-1, produced by Nostoc linckia CALU 892, inhibits the growth of many cyanobacteria and eukaryotic algae. The minimum effective dose of a crude preparation to Synechococcus sp. R-2 is ca 1 µg ml^?1. The antibiotic hinders cell division and light-dependent oxygen evolution in Synechococcus sp. R-2 (PCC 7942) cells. It is not active against heterotrophic bacteria and fungi, and is non-toxic to mice. Purified cyanobacterin LU-1 contains a nitrous heterocycle with sugar and phenolic substituents. Cyanobacterin LU-1 accumulates in the medium during the course of growth, although not in direct proportion to cell density. Productivity of the culture depends on temperature.     

Study of non-consumptive mortality of Crustacean zooplankton in a Siberian reservoir using staining for live/dead sorting and sediment traps

We studied non-consumptive (non-predatory) mortality of Daphnia and Cyclops vicinus during four sampling seasons. Mortality estimations were based on live/dead sorting using special staining and measurements of sedimentation rates for dead individuals, depended on wind speed. Original equations were used for calculations. The estimated specific non-consumptive mortality never had biologically senseless negative values, which were often obtained on the basis of the other ways of mortality estimations, and was in a good agreement with other components of population dynamics. As found, the non-consumptive mortality was the important, often the determinant component of the zooplankton population dynamics.     

Nucleotide composition and the level of DNA homology in a number of Bacillus diasticus strains

The base composition of DNA and DNA homology of a number of strains Bacillus diastaticus differing in the intensity of the amilase synthesis and some phenotipic properties have been studied. The differences in the base composition of DNA have not been found. All stains studied are characterized by the high rate of DNA homology. B. diastaticus and B. stearothermophilus have been established to be genetically similar.