Nothobranchius guentheri and Nothobranchius patrizii have special life cycle to sustain the dry season. So, we investigated the fertilized eggs morphology, and compared ultrastructures of surface structures and the cross section of fertilized egg envelopes using light and electron microscopes to determine whether these fertilized eggs and egg envelopes show the species specificity or have special structure to sustain the dry season. These fertilized eggs were spherical, yellowish, demersal and adhesive, and had a one-sided large oil droplet. The whip-like structures, adhesive filament were distributed throughout egg envelope in both species. But, that of N. guentheri was covered with fibrous structures, and that of N. patrizii was smooth. The egg envelope consisted of two distinct layers: an outer, electron-dense layer containing adhesive filaments and an inner layer of 16 to 17 horizontal electron-dense lamellae alternating with 15 to 16 interlamellae of lower electron density in both species. The external shapes of fertilized egg and section of fertilized egg envelope were same, but ultrastructure of adhesive filaments on the outer surface was concluded to show species specificity. Our data indicate that the ultrastructural differences of adhesive filament and outer surface of fertilized egg envelope show species specificity although these species belong to same genus.

PurposeAdjuvant radiotherapy of breast cancer using a photon tangential field incurs a risk of late heart and lung toxicity. The use of free breathing (FB), expiration breath hold (EBH), and deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) during tangential breast radiotherapy as a means of reducing irradiated lung and heart volume was evaluated.MethodsIn 10 women with left-sided breast cancer (mean age, 44 years) post-operative computed tomography (CT) scanning was done under different respiratory conditions using FB, EBH, and DIBH in 3 CT scans. For each scan, an optimized radiotherapy plan was designed with 6 MV photon tangential fields encompassing the clinical target volume after breast-conserving surgery.ResultsThe results of dose-volume histograms were compared using three breathing pattern techniques for the irradiated volume and dose to the heart. A significant reduction dose to the irradiated heart volume for the DIBH breathing technique was compared to FB and EBH breathing techniques (p<0.05).ConclusionThis study demonstrated that the irradiated heart volume can be significantly reduced in patients with left-sided breast cancer using the DIBH breathing technique for tangential radiotherapy.

Our previous studies on the ultramicroscopic structure of mummy hair from Joseon Dynasty tombs sealed with a lime-soil mixture barrier (LSMB) have provided initial, basic information on their preservation status. Numerous additional cases of various conditions are required in order to provide data sufficient for establishing Korean mummy preservation patterns on a firm basis, however, and so we performed electron microscopic studies on hair taken from a full-term, intrauterine baby mummy found in Paju, Korea. The baby mummy was found within the uterus of a 16th-century mummified woman aged 20-30 years old. Since the labour and delivery stage for this case was 2, and the uterus was found to be ruptured, the cause of death of both the mother and the baby was likely to have been hypovolemic shock occurring during labour. In scanning electron microscopic (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies, we found that the surface of the hair of the baby mummy was coated with crystalline substances, mainly on the side facing the vaginal orifice. We also observed well-preserved cuticle, cortex and medullar layers, completely preserved cuticlelayer scales, as well as macrofibrils and melanin granules evenly spread within the cuticle and cortex layers. Because studies on infant or subadult mummies are very few, and since they have focused mainly on the palaeopathological aspects of those mummies, the preservation pattern of the hair of a full-term baby mummy could contribute significantly to our knowledge of mummies from around the world.

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Recent data analyses of several ongoing epidemiological studies, in particular the Life Span Study of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, have led to new estimates of risks due to radiation-induced cancer. The risk coefficients published by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) in 1991 are 0.5% Sv-1 for leukaemia and 4.5% Sv-1 for solid cancers. For adults the mean latency periods for radiation-induced leukaemia are about 15 years, for solid cancers more than 40 years. Using the organ specific risk coefficients several examples are given for risk estimates for some frequently applied radiological procedures. The results are compared with various generally known risks of everyday life. Some specific problems involved in risk communication are considered.