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This study summarises information on the occurrence of Myrmecophilus acervorum in Poland in the years 1851–2022. We collected information about 143 localities: 40 from literature and 103 unpublished. Myrmecophilus acervorum is reported from seven new regions: the Baltic Coast, Białowieża Primeval Forest, Eastern Sudety Mts, Kraków-Wieluń Upland, Podlasie Lowland, Sandomierska Lowland and Trzebnickie Hills. While until 2010 observations were rare (35 localities), in the years 2011–2022 the species was found in 108 new localities. A total of 443 individuals of M. acervorum were observed in Poland, but the sex was identified only for 138, of which 135 were mature females or female nymphs. Males were recorded only historically in the Pomeranian Lakeland. At present, these records should be treated with caution, as they are uncertain.

The report provides information about the occurrence of the house-cricket Acheta domesticus in 2021 in the area of the hard coal mines "Budryk" (Ornontowice) and "Pniówek" (Pawłowice). The species was recorded at depths of 900, 1050 and 1290 m ("Budryk") and 1050 m beneath the surface ("Pniówek"). The information provided testifies high adaptability of the species and encourages its search in other Polish mines.

The availability and non-invasiveness of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) opens up new possibilities for real-time serial testing. The relationship between cfDNA concentration, clinical factors and suitability for monitoring was analyzed in patients with newly diagnosed anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC).Blood samples were collected at several points during and after treatment. Patients were homogeneously treated with chemoradiotherapy.The concentration of cfDNA strongly correlated with the tumor volume (Substantial changes in plasma cfDNA content can be observed after chemoradiotherapy for ASCC. However, the small number of cases studied makes it difficult to assess the usefulness of the cfDNA test.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) includes oral cavity cancer (OCC), pharyngeal cancer (PC), and laryngeal cancer (LC). It is one of the most frequent cancers in the world. Smoking and alcohol consumption are the typical well-known predictors of HNC. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an increasing etiological factor for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). Moreover, food and nutrition play an important role in HNC etiology. According to the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, an intake of non-starchy vegetables and fruits could decrease HNC risk. The carotenoids included in vegetables and fruits are well-known antioxidants which have anti-mutagenic and immune regulatory functions. Numerous studies have shown the relationship between carotenoid intake and a lower HNC risk, but the role of carotenoids in HNC risk is not well defined. The goal of this review is to present the current literature regarding the relationship between various carotenoids and HNC risk.

New records of rare spiders (Araneae) in Poland. During arachnological researches carried out for different reasons, using various methods in distant places of Poland, we have collected rich faunistic material. Although, main part of spiders assemblages composition usually are common species, there is a share of species that are rarely collected. Appreciating their role in the ecosystems and a small amount of data, we chose ten species deserving more attention: Altella biuncata, Berlandina cinerea, Ceratinella major, Dasumia carpatica, Erigonoplus globipes, Mansuphantes arciger, Ozyptila rauda, Pseudomaro aenigmaticus, Saloca diceros, and Saloca kulczynskii., {"references":["Angeler D.G., Fried-Petersen H.B., Allen C.R., Garmestani A., Twidwell D., Chuang W.-C., Donovan V.M., Eason T., Roberts C.R., Sundstrom S.M., Wonkka C.L. 2019. Adaptive capacity in ecosystems. Advances in Ecological Research 60: 1-24. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/bs.aecr.2019.02.001","Baran S. 1933. 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Opolskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk. Zeszyty Przyrodnicze 11: 141–145.","Czajka M., Pilawski S., Woźny M. 1981. Przyczynek do znajomości pająków (Aranei) Bieszczadów. Fragmenta Faunistica 25: 453–461.","Feledyn-Szewczyk B. 2016. Bioróżnorodność jako wskaźnik monitorowania stanu środowiska. Studia i raporty IUNG-PIB 47(1): 105–124.","Foelix R.F. 2011. Biology of spiders. New York: Oxford University Press, 420 pp.","Gaston K.J. 2010. Valuing common species. Science 327:154–155.","Gierlasiński G. 2020. Nowe stanowisko Dasumia carpatica (Kulczyński, 1882) (Araneae: Dysderidae) w Beskidzie Zachodnim. Acta entomologica silesiana 28(015): 1–4 [online]. DOI:doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3768406.","Hängg i A., Stöckli E., Nentwig W. 1995. Lebensräume mitteleuropäischer Spinnen. Charakterisierung der Lebensräume der häufigstenSpinnenarten Mitteleuropas und der mit diesen vergesellschafteten Arten. Miscellanea Faunistica Helvetiae 4, Neuchâtel.","Hong P., Schmid B., De Laender F., Eisenhauer N., Zhang X., Chen H., Craven D., De Boeck H.J., Hautier Y., Petchey O.L., Reich P.B., Steudel B., Striebel M., Thakur M.P., Wang S. 2022. Biodiversity promotes ecosystem functioning despite environmental change. Ecology Letters 25: 555–569. DOI:doi.org/10.1111/ele.13936.","Karpiński J. 1956. Pająki (Araneida) w biocenozie Białowieskiego Parku Narodowego. Roczniki Nauk Leśnych 14: 163–200.","Kulczyński W. 1881. Wykaz pająków Tatr, Babiej Góry i Karpat szlązkich z uwzględnieniem pionowego rozsiedlenia pająków w Galicyi zachodniej. Sprawozdanie Komisyi Fizyograficznej 15: 248–322.","Kulczyński W. 1882. Spinnen aus der Tatra und den Westlichen Beskiden. Kraków, 34 pp.","Kumschick S., Fronzek S., Entling M.H., Nentwig W. 2011. Rapid spread of the wasp spider Argiope bruennichi across Europe: a consequence of climate change? Climatic Change 109 (3): 319–329.","Kupryjanowicz J., Rozwałka R. 2007. Jacksonella falconeri (Jackson, 1908), a species newly recorded in Poland (Araneae: Linyphiidae). Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne 76(3): 161–165.","Lyons K., Schwartz M. 2001. Rare species loss alters ecosystem function – invasion resistance. Ecological Letters 4: 358–365.","Lyons K.G., Brigham C.A., Traut B.H., Schwartz M.W. 2005. Rare species and ecosystem functioning. Conservation Biology 19(4): 1019–1024. DOI:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2005.00106.x.","MacDougall A.S., McCann K.S., Gellner G., Turkingt on R. 2013. Diversity loss with persistent human disturbance increases vulnerability to ecosystem collapse. Nature 494: 86–89.","Menge A. 1872. Preussische Spinnen. V. Abtheilung. Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig (N. F.) 3: 297–326.","Mouillot D., Bellwood D.R., Baraloto C., Chave J., Galzin R., Harmelin-Vivien M., Kulbicki M., Lavergne S., Lavorel S., Mouquet N., Timothy Paine C.E., Renaud J., Thuiller W. 2013. Rare species support vulnerable functions in High-Diversity Ecosystems. PLoS Biology 11(5): e1001569. DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001569.","Nentwig W., Blick T., Bosmans R., Gloor D., Hängg i A., Kropf C. 2022. Spiders of Europe. Wersja 08.2022. https://www.araneae.nmbe.ch, dostęp: 01.08.2022. DOI:doi.org/10.24436/1.","Pilawski S. 1962. Wstępne badania pająków w Karkonoskim Parku Narodowym. Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis, Prace zoologiczne 1: 181–188.","Pilawski S. 1965. O kilkunastu gatunkach pająków złowionych w Sudetach Śląskich nowych dla fauny Dolnego Śląska i Polski. Przegląd Zoologiczny 9(3): 254–265.","Prószyński J., Staręga W. 1971. Pająki – Aranei. Katalog fauny Polski 33: Warszawa (PWN), 382 pp.","Raven P., Wackernagel M. 2020. Maintaining biodiversity will define our long-term success. Plant Diversity 42(4): 211–220. DOI:doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2020.06.002.","Rozwałka R. 2006a. Pająki (Araneae) Nadwieprzańskiego Parku Krajobrazowego. Nowy Pamiętnik Fizjograficzny 4(1–2): 55–66.","Rozwałka R. 2006b. Pająki (Araneae) stanowiska roślinności kserotermicznej w Żmudzi koło Chełma. Parki Narodowe i Rezerwaty Przyrody 25: 51–68.","Rozwałka R. 2010. Materiały do znajomości pająków Araneae Bieszczadów i Bieszczadzkiego Parku Narodowego. Roczniki Bieszczadzkie 18: 167–177.","Rozwałka R. 2014. Materiały do znajomości pająków Araneae Beskidu Wschodniego. Roczniki Bieszczadzkie 22: 329–350.","Rozwałka R., Olbrycht T. 2017. New records of several rare spider species (Araneae) from south-eastern Poland. Fragmenta Faunistica 60(1): 67–81.","Rozwałka R., Stachowicz J. 2021. Katalog pająków (Araneae) województwa lubelskiego. Wydawnistwo Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego, Warszawa, 271 pp.","Růžička V. Spiders in rocky habitats in Central Bohemia. The Journal of Arachnology 28: 217–222.","Sanocka-Wołoszynowa E. 1981. Badania pajęczaków (Aranei, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpionida) jaskiń Wyżyny Krakowsko-Częstochowskiej. Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis, 548, Prace Zoologiczne 11: 92 pp.","Säterberg T., Jonsson T., Yearsley J., Berg S., Ebenman B. 2019. A potential role for rare species in ecosystem dynamics. Scientific Reports 9, Article numer: 11107 (2019). DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-47541-6.","Smith M.D., Knapp A.K. 2003. Dominant species maintain ecosystem function with nonrandom species loss. Ecological Letters 6:509–517.","Stańska M. 2001. Pająki (Araneae) Niziny Mazowieckiej, stan wiedzy, zagrożenia, sposoby ochrony, pp. 295–304, In: Strategia ochrony fauny na Nizinie Mazowieckiej Kot H., Dombrowski A. (Eds.). Wyd. MTOF, Siedlce.","Staręga W. 1966. Przyczynek do poznania fauny pająków (Aranei) Polski. Fragmenta Faunistica 13: 175–186.","Staręga W. 1971. Pająki (Aranei) Bieszczadów. Fragmenta Faunistica 17: 53–126.","Staręga W. 1972. Nowe dla Polski i rzadsze gatunki pająków (Aranei), z opisem Lepthyphantes milleri sp.n. Fragmenta Faunistica 18: 55–98.","Staręga W. 1974. Materiały do znajomości rozmieszczenia pająków (Aranei) w Polsce. Fragmenta Faunistica 19: 395–420.","Staręga W. 1976. Pająki (Aranei) Pienin. Fragmenta Faunistica 21: 233–330.","Staręga W. 1983. Wykaz krytyczny pająków (Aranei) Polski. Fragmenta Faunistica 27: 149–268.","Staręga W. 1984. Materiały do znajomości rozmieszczenia pająków (Aranei) w Polsce. VIII-X. Fragmenta Faunistica 28: 79–136.","Staręga W. 1996. Spinnen (Araneae) von oberschlesischen Abraumhalden des Steinkohlebergbaus. Fragmenta Faunistica 39: 329–344.","Staręga W., Kupryjanowicz J. 1996. Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Spinnen (Araneae) des Gorce-Gebirges. Fragmenta Faunistica 39: 313–328.","Staręga W., Majkus Z., Miszta A. 2001. Czerwona Lista Pająków (Araneae) Górnego Śląska. Centrum Dziedzictwa Przyrody Górnego Śląska, Raporty Opinie 5: 8–35.","Szymański D., Szymański D.M., Szymański E., Kłonowski P., Szymański H.M. 2021. Pająki (Araneae) wydm śródlądowych środkowej części Niziny Wielkopolsko-Kujawskiej. Przegląd Przyrodniczy 32(2): 13–21.","Trigos-Peral G., Rutkowski T., Witek M., Ślipiński P., Babik H., Czechowski W. 2020. Three categories of urban green areas and the effect of their different management on the communities of ants, spiders and harvestmen. Urban Ecosystems, DOI:/10.1007/s11252–020–00949–9.","Wiśniewski K., Rozwałka R., Wesołowska W. 2018. Distribution, habitat affinities and phenology of the Micrargus herbigradus-species group (Araneae: Linyphiidae) in Poland. Biologia 73:151–164.","World Spider Catalog (2022). World Spider Catalog. Version 23.5. Natural History Museum Bern, http://wsc.nmbe.ch, dostęp: 01.08.2022. DOI:doi.org/10.24436/2."]}

Introduction. The paper presents an original, used in our Institute, method of lung volume irradiation in patients with pneumonia during COVID-19 infection. Material and methods. Procedures such as the simulation of treatment and radiotherapy are performed in a treatment room. Real time radiation treatment planning is realized as 2D planning (Irreg Planning VMS) in a separate room, and the 3D (eclipse VMS) dose distribution is calculated after the treatment. During radiation exposure, a fluence map is measured. Results. A method of irradiating the lungs of patients with COVID-19 was developed, which allows to shorten the time the patient is on the treatment table and minimize contacts between the patient and staff. Conclusions. The presented procedure made it possible to minimize the time of patient’s stay in the radiotherapy department and at the same time, it retains all the required quality assurance procedures in radiotherapy treatment.

Bracket fungi are seen mainly as the cause of economic losses in forestry, and their role as creators of biodiversity is relatively poorly understood. The aim of the study was defining the manner in which the degree of decay (DD) of the fruiting bodies determines the character of the invertebrate assemblages colonising them. The effect of this group of fungi on the modification of biodiversity of invertebrates (Aranae, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpionida, two groups of mites—Mesostigmata and Oribatida, and Collembola and Insecta) was investigated by analyzing 100 fruiting bodies of 10 species of bracket fungi divided into four DD classes. The material was collected at Białowieża National Park, which is considered to be the largest area of natural forests in the North European Plain. 16 068 invertebrate individuals classified into 224 species were obtained. Oribatid mites (12 543 individuals) constituted the largest group of individuals, which were classified into 115 species with the most numerous Carabodes femoralis (8,811 individuals). Representatives of this group of mites have been reported previously in the publications on bracket fungi; however, the contributions of Oribatida and other groups of invertebrates were not broadly compared. Moreover, the species such as Hoploseius mariae and H. oblongus, which were predominantly found in fruiting bodies of bracket fungi, have also been discerned. The invertebrate fauna differs depending on DD of the samples: In the more decayed samples, a higher number of both individuals and species were recorded compared to the samples with lower DDs; however, this trend proved to be nonlinear. The DCA and cluster analysis revealed a similarity of the invertebrate assemblages from the 2 DD and 4 DD samples. They also indicated that the group 3 DD differed the most from all the other samples. The indicator species analysis identified species characteristic to individual DDs: For group 1 DD, it was, for example, Hoploseius oblongus; for 2 DD—Orchesella bifasciata; and for 3 DD—Chernes cimicoides, while for 4 DD—Dinychus perforatus., From the viewpoint of forest management, wood‐decaying fungi are mainly perceived in terms of financial losses resulting from the deteriorating timber value. Nevertheless, these fungi create a unique microhabitat of decaying wood; hence, their fruiting bodies play a significant role in promoting biodiversity of many groups of invertebrates.

New data about distribution of spiders (Araneae) on Baltic Coast. The aim of the presented research was to supplement the knowledge on the distribution of spiders on the Baltic Coast. For this purpose, data collected by the authors and provided by other researchers were used. This area was best explored in the second half of the nineteenth century and many of the species identified then have not been shown here since then. As a result of this research, it was possible to confirm the presence of many of them and to find several dozen species new to this area., {"references":["Almquist S. 2005. Swedish Araneae, part 1 – families Atypidae to Hahniidae (Linyphiidae excluded). Insect Systematics & Evolution, Supplement 62: 1–284.","Burakowski B., Mroczkowski M., Stefańska J. 1973. Chrząszcze Coleoptera. Biegaczowate – Carabidae, część 1. Katalog fauny Polski 23(2): 1–232.","Chyży I., Staręga W. 1997. Pająki (Araneae) rezerwatu Antoniuk. Parki Narodowe i Rezerwaty Przyrody 16(1): 27–39.","Cichocki W., Rozwałka R. 2013. Pająki rezerwatu torfowiskowego Bór na Czerwonem. Chrońmy Przyrodę Ojczystą 69(1): 41–54.","Czajka M. 1962. First observation on the occurrence of the spiders Lepthyphantes kochi Kulcz. and Amaurobius jugorum L. Koch in Poland (Araneae). Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne 32: 251–252.","Czajka M., Pilawski S., Woźny M. 1981. Przyczynek do znajomości pająków (Aranei) Bieszczadów. Fragmenta Faunistica 25: 453–461.","Czajka M., Domin L. 1993. Pająki (Aranei) okolic Ruszowa w Borach Dolnośląskich. Opolskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk. Zeszyty Przyrodnicze 29: 7–30.","Dahl M. 1935. Araneae und Opiliones. Zur Kenntnis der Spinnentiere Schlesiens. Sitzungsbericht der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin: 337–357.","Dziabaszewski A. 1965. Pająki wyspy Wolin ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem Wolińskiego Parku Narodowego. Część I. 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MapaUTM v. 5.4. https://www.heteroptera.us.edu.pl/mapautm.html, dostęp: 01.02.2022.","Gierlasiński G., Kolago G., Szymański H., Rutkowski T., Rozwałka R. 2022. Rozmieszczenie gatunków z rodzaju Pellenes Simon, 1876 (Araneae: Salticidae) w Polsce. Rocznik Muzeum Górnośląskiego w Bytomiu, Przyroda 28(online 008): 1–15. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6610279.","Haase H., Brunk I., Voigtländer K., Balkenhol B. 2019. Invasion des Neophyten Spiraea sp. und Sukzession artenreicher Graslandflächen: Auswirkungen auf die Artengemeinschaften von Spinnen (Araneae), Laufkäfern (Carabidae) sowie Doppelund Hundertfüßern (Diplopoda, Chilopoda). Berichte der Naturforschenden Gesselschaft der Oberlausits 27: 5–42.","Jankowski A. 1983. Z badań nad pająkami (Aranei) w Wielkopolsce, pp. 79–80, In: Postępy zoologii, Materiały III Zjazdu Polskiego Towarzystwa Zoologicznego, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego, Katowice.","Jeschke K. 1938. 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Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig (N.F.) 1: 1–152.","Menge A. 1869. Preussische Spinnen. III. Abtheilung. Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig (N. F.) 2: 219–264.","Menge A. 1873. Preussische Spinnen. VI. Abtheilung. Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig (N. F.) 3: 327–374.","Menge A. 1877. Preussische Spinnen. IX. Fortsetzung. Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig (N. F.) 4: 455–494.","Menge A. 1879a. Preussische Spinnen. X. Fortsetzung und Schluss. Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig (N. F.) 4: 495–542.","Menge A. 1879b. Preussische Spinnen. XI. Fortsetzung und Schluss. Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig (N. F.) 4: 543–560.","Mikulska I. 1955. Rozmieszczenie pająków w pasie nadbrzeżnym jeziora Wigry. Ekologia Polska, A 3: 33–64.","Mikulska I. 1961. O niezwykłym sposobie życia pająka Pellenes nigrociliatus (L. Koch) var. bilunulata Simon zamieszkującego muszle ślimaków. Przegląd Zoologiczny 5: 218–225.","Nentwig W., Blick T., Bosmans R., Gloor D., Hänggi A., Kropf C. 2022. Spiders of Europe. Version 01.2022. Wersja online: https://www.araneae.nmbe.ch, dostęp 22.01.2022. https://doi.org/10.24436/1.","Oleszczuk M., Karg J. 2012. Ballooning spiders (Araneae) over the forest island in an agricultural landscape of Wielkopolska. Fragmenta Faunistica 55(1): 19–24.","Pilawski S. 1963. Pająki nowe dla fauny Dolnego Śląska. Przegląd Zoologiczny 7: 43–52.","Pilawski S. 1967. Materiały do znajomości pająków (Araneae) Wzgórz Trzebnickich. Przegląd Zoologiczny 11: 391–404.","Prószyński J., Staręga W. 1971. Pająki – Aranei. Katalog fauny Polski 33: Warszawa (PWN), 382 pp.","Puszkar T. 1983. Nowe dla Wyżyny Lubelskiej gatunki pająków (Aranei). Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, C 36(20): 273–287.","Rozwałka R. 2009. Pająki (Araneae) Parku Krajobrazowego Lasy Janowskie. Nowy Pamiętnik Fizjograficzny 6(1–2): 45–70.","Rozwałka R. 2010. Materiały do znajomości pająków Araneae Bieszczadów i Bieszczadzkiego Parku Narodowego. Roczniki Bieszczadzkie 18: 167–177.","Rozwałka R. 2014. Materiały do znajomości pająków Araneae Beskidu Wschodniego. Roczniki Bieszczadzkie 22: 329–350.","Rozwałka R., Zawal A. 2009. New data on the distribution of Zodarion rubidum Simon, 1914 (Araneae, Zodariidae) in Poland. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Sectio C 44(1): 113–116.","Rozwałka R., Sienkiewicz P. 2012. Pająki rezerwatu przyrody Ostnicowe Parowy Gruczna i okolic – pierwszy rok badań, pp. 46–50, In: Pająkowski J. (Ed.), Ochrona przyrody i dziedzictwa kulturowego Doliny Dolnej Wisły, Zespół Parków Krajobrazowych Chełmińskiego i Nadwiślańskiego, Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Dolnej Wisły, Świecie, Tom 1.","Rozwałka R., Sienkiewicz P. 2014. Pająki i kosarze (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones) rezerwatu Słoneczne Wzgórza. Przegląd Przyrodniczy 25(3): 31–53.","Rozwałka R., Rutkowski T., Bielak-Bielecki P. 2016. New data on introduced and rare synanthropic spider species (Arachnida: Araneae) in Poland (II). Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Sectio C 71(1): 60–85.","Rozwałka R., Olbrycht T. 2017. New records of several rare spider species (Araneae) from south-eastern Poland. Fragmenta Faunistica 60(1): 67–81.","Rozwałka R., Stachowicz J. 2021. Katalog pająków (Araneae) województwa lubelskiego. Wydawnistwo Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego, Warszawa, 271 pp.","Stanilewicz A. 2009. Pająki (Araneae) rezerwatu przyrody Kuźnik, pp. 143–149, In: Owsianny P.M. (Ed.), Rynna Jezior Kuźnickich i rezerwat przyrody Kuźnik - bioróżnorodność, funkcjonowanie, ochrona i edukacja. Piła: Muzeum Stanisława Staszica.","Stańska M. 2005. Pająki (Araneae) jako element monitoringu ekologicznego w wybranych środowisk leśnych Puszczy Białowieskiej. Leśne Prace Badawcze 1: 65–79.","Stańska M. 2007. Rare and threatened spider species (Araneae) in selected types of deciduous forests in the Białowieża Forest. Nature Conservation 64: 13–29.","Staręga W. 1974. Materiały do znajomości rozmieszczenia pająków (Aranei) w Polsce. Fragmenta Faunistica 19: 395–420.","Staręga W. 1976. Pająki (Aranei) Pienin. Fragmenta Faunistica 21: 233–330.","Staręga W. 1978. Materiały do znajomości rozmieszczenia pająków (Aranei) w Polsce, III-VII. Fragmenta Faunistica 23: 259–302.","Staręga W. 1983. Wykaz krytyczny pająków (Aranei) Polski. Fragmenta Faunistica 27: 149–268.","Staręga W. 1984. Materiały do znajomości rozmieszczenia pająków (Aranei) w Polsce. VIII-X. Fragmenta Faunistica 28: 79–136.","Staręga W. 1988. Pająki (Aranei) Gór Świętokrzyskich. Fragmenta Faunistica 31: 185–359.","Staręga W. 1996. Spinnen (Araneae) aus der Borkenheide und anderen Lokalitaten der Masurischen Seenplatte. Fragmenta Faunistica 39: 287–311.","Staręga W., Stankiewicz A. 1996. Beitrag zur Spinnenfauna einiger Moore Nordostpolens. Fragmenta Faunistica 39: 345–361","Staręga W., Błaszak C., Rafalski J. 2002. Arachnida – Pajęczaki, pp. 133–140, In: Głowaciński Z. (Ed.), Czerwona lista zwierząt ginących i zagrożonych w Polsce. IOP PAN Kraków.","Wendzonka J., Rutkowski T. 2017. Wybrane grupy bezkręgowców, pp 1–270, In: Bociąg K., Borowiak D., Gos K., Herbich J., Herbich M., Kowalewska A., Manikowska-Ślepowrońska B., Nowiński K., Rekowska E., Rudowska A., Rusińska A., Rutkowski T., Wantoch-Rekowski M., Wilga M., Wendzonka J. (Eds.), Przyroda rezerwatu Mechowiska Sulęcińskie. Uniwersytet Gdański.","Wiśniewski K., Rozwałka R., Wesołowska W. 2018. Distribution, habitat affinities and phenology of the Micrargus herbigradus-species group (Araneae: Linyphiidae) in Poland. Biologia 73: 151–164.","World Spider Catalog 2022. World Spider Catalog. Version 22.0. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch, dostęp: 01.06.2022. DOI: 10.24436/2.","Woźny M. 1978. Nowe i rzadkie gatunki pająków (Aranei) dla fauny Polski. Przegląd Zoologiczny 22: 260–262.","Woźny M. 1985. Pająki (Aranei) Wału Trzebnickiego. Fragmenta Faunistica 29: 39–76.","Woźny M., Siwek P. 1996. Zodarion rubidum Simon (Aranei, Zodariidae) – nowy dla Polski gatunek pająka. Przegląd Zoologiczny 40: 73–75.","Woźny M., Czajka M., Pilawski S., Bednarz S. 1988. Pająki (Araneae) polskich Sudetów. Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis, Prace Zoologiczne 19: 53–130.","Żabka M. 1997. Salticidae – Pająki skaczące (Arachnida: Araneae). Fauna Polski 19. MiZ PAN Warszawa, 189 pp.","Żurawlew P. 2014. Niezwykła przyroda powiatu pleszewskiego. Pleszew, 162 pp."]}

Distribution of the genus Pellenes Simon, 1876 (Araneae: Salticidae) in Poland. The article presents almost one hundred new localities of Pellenes nigrociliatus and P. tripunctatus. The preferred habitats of both species in Poland are dry stony or sandy areas with sparse vegetation. Their presence is strongly connected to the distribution of land snails, whose empty shells are used as a shelter and breeding place. Frequent observations on railway embankments suggest that their distribution in Poland may be much wider than previously thought and that the railway lines may play a key role as routes for their dispersal., {"references":["Bartos M., Szczepko K. 2011. Piaskun wydmowy (Yllenus arenarius) (Araneae, Salticidae) w Polsce – stan poznania i zagrożenia, pp. 11–21, In: Gwoździński K. (Ed.). Bory Tucholskie i inne obszary leśne II. Ochrona, monitoring, edukacja. Pa-Res Publishing, Łódź.","Burakowski B., Mroczkowski M., Stefańska J. 1973. Chrząszcze Coleoptera. Biegaczowate – Carabidae, część 1. Katalog fauny Polski 23: 1–232.","Czajka M. 1966. Einige Angaben über die Spinnen (Araneae) von Ślęża Massiv. Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne 36: 365–376.","Gierlasiński G. 2022. MapaUTM v. 5.4. https://www.heteroptera.us.edu.pl/mapautm.html, dostęp: 01.02.2022.","Hesse E. 1936. Die Fauna der Binnendüne bei Bellinchen (Oder). IV. Die Tierwelt – Arachnoidea. Märkische Tierwelt 2: 134–140.","Kondracki J. 2011. Geografia regionalna Polski. Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa, 440 pp.","Krzyżanowska E., Dziabaszewski A., Jackowska B., Staręga W. 1981. Spiders (Arachnoidea, Aranei) of Warsaw and Mazovia. Memorabilia Zoologica 34: 87–110.","Kupryjanowicz J. 1996. Titanoeca psammophila Wunderlich , 1993 in Poland (Araneae: Titanoecidae). Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Biological Sciences 44: 57–60.","Kupryjanowicz J. 2005. Pająki (Araneae) Biebrzańskiego Parku Narodowego, pp. 275–299, In: Drycz A. (Ed.), Przyroda Biebrzańskiego Parku Narodowego. Werpachowski. Biebrzański Park Narodowy, Osowiec Twierdza.","Kupryjanowicz J., Rozwałka R. 2007. Jacksonella falconeri (Jackson, 1908), a species newly recorded in Poland (Araneae: Linyphiidae). Polskie Pismo Entomologiczne 76(3): 161–165.","Łęgowski D. 2006. Zooindication-based monitoring of anthropogenic transformations in Białowieża Primeval Forest. Spiders (Aranei), pp. 247–291, In: Szujecki A. (Ed.), Zooindication-Based monitoring of anthropogenic transformations in Białowieża Primeval Forest. Wydawnictwo SGGW, Warszawa.","Menge A. 1850. Verzeichniss Danziger Spinnen. Neueste Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Danzig 4(3): 57–71.","Mikulska I. 1961. O niezwykłym sposobie życia pająka Pellenes nigrociliatus (L. Koch ) var. bilunulata Simon zamieszkującego muszle ślimaków. Przegląd Zoologiczny 5: 218–225.","Nentwig W., Blick T., Gloor D., Hängg i A., Kropf C. 2022. Spiders of Europe. www.araneae.unibe.ch. Dostęp: 2.03.2022. https://doi.org/10.24436/1","Noordijk J., Sch aff ers A.P., Sýkora K.V. 2008. Diversity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and spiders (Araneae) in roadside verges with grey hair-grass vegetation. European Journal of Entomology 105(2): 257–265. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2008.036.","Prószyński J. 1961. Pająki Góry Nartowej w Puszczy Kampinoskiej. Fragmenta Faunistica 8: 555–595.","Prószyński J., Staręga W. 1971. Pająki – Aranei. Katalog fauny Polski 33: 1–382.","Puszkar T. 1983. Nowe dla Wyżyny Lubelskiej gatunki pająków (Aranei). Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska C 36(20): 273–287.","Rozwałka R. 2006. Materiały do poznania pająków (Araneae) Poleskiego Parku Narodowego. Nowy Pamiętnik Fizjograficzny 4(1–2): 67–82.","Rozwałka R. 2007. Pająki (Araneae) Kazimierskiego Parku Krajobrazowego. Parki Narodowe i Rezerwaty Przyrody 26(3): 83–100.","Rozwałka R. 2009a. New data of the distribution of Pellenes nigrociliatus (L. Koch , 1875) (Araneae: Salticidae) in Poland. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska C 64(1): 117–121.","Rozwałka R. 2009b. Pająki (Araneae) Parku Krajobrazowego Lasy Janowskie. Nowy Pamiętnik Fizjograficzny 6(1–2): 45–70.","Rozwałka R., Rutkowski T., Bielak-Bielecki P. 2013. New data on introduced and rare synan-thropic spider species (Arachnida: Araneae) in Poland. Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Biologia 68: 127–150.","Rozwałka R., Zawal A. 2014. Pająki i kosarze (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones) rezerwatu Świdwie. Przegląd Przyrodniczy 25(2): 76–90.","Rozwałka R., Stachowicz J. 2014. Notes on the occurrence of Sitticus terebratus (Clerck, 1758) in Poland. Fragmenta Faunistica 57(1): 67–74.","Rozwałka R., Rutkowski T., Sienkiewicz P., Renn K. 2015. Occurrence of Talavera aperta (Miller, 1971) (Araneae: Salticidae) in Poland. Biological Letters 52(12): 3–9.","Rozwałka R., Rutkowski T., Bielak-Bielecki P. 2016. New data on introduced and rare synanthropic spider species (Arachnida: Araneae) in Poland (II). Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska, Biologia 71(1): 60–85.","Rozwałka R., Stach owicz J. 2021. Katalog pająków (Araneae) województwa lubelskiego. Wydawnistwo Uniwersytetu Kardynała Stefana Wyszyńskiego, Warszawa: 271 pp.","Stańska M., Pieńkowski M., Siekierzyński M., Wójcik Ł., Cudny M. 2007. Stawy rybne jako ostoja zagrożonych gatunków pająków i obiekt turystyki przyrodniczej, pp. 109–120, In: Przyroda a turystyka we wschodniej Polsce, Żabka M., Kowalski R. (Eds.). Wydawnictwo Akademii Podlaskiej, Siedlce.","Stańska M., Pieńkowski M., Siekierzyński M., Wójcik Ł., Cudny M. 2010. Zagrożone gatunki pająków w rezerwacie Stawy Broszkowskie i w projektowanym rezerwacie Stawy Siedleckie. Przegląd Zoologiczny 52–54(1–4): 171–184.","Staręga W. 1972. Nowe dla Polski i rzadsze gatunki pająków (Aranei), z opisem Lepthyphantes milleri sp.n. Fragmenta Faunistica 18: 55–98.","Staręga W. 1974. Materiały do znajomości rozmieszczenia pająków (Aranei) w Polsce. Fragmenta Faunistica 19: 395–420.","Staręga W. 1976. Pająki (Aranei) Pienin. Fragmenta Faunistica 21: 233–330.","Staręga W. 1983. Wykaz krytyczny pająków (Aranei) Polski. Fragmenta Faunistica 27: 149–268.","Staręga W. 1984. Materiały do znajomości rozmieszczenia pająków (Aranei) w Polsce. VIII-X. Fragmenta Faunistica 28: 79–136.","Staręga W. 1996. Spinnen (Araneae) von oberschlesischen Abraumhalden des Steinkohlebergbaus. Fragmenta Faunistica 39: 329–344.","Staręga W. 2000. Spinnen aus Roztocze und anliegenden Gebieten. Fragmenta Faunistica 43: 59–89.","Staręga W. 2003a. Pająki (Araneae) Puszczy Knyszyńskiej. Nowy Pamiętnik Fizjograficzny 1: 95–206.","Staręga W. 2003b. Pająki z Nadbużańskiego Parku Krajobrazowego. Parki Narodowe i Rezerwaty Przyrody 22: 531–541.","Szymański D., Szymański D.M., Szymański E., Kłonowski P., Szymański H.M. 2021. Pająki (Araneae) wydm śródlądowych środkowej części Niziny Wielkopolsko-Kujawskiej. Przegląd Przyrodniczy 32(2): 13–21.","Štempáková K., Hula V. 2017. Overwintering of spiders in terrestrial molluscs shells in the wider area of Vranov nad Topľou (Slovakia). Acta Uniersitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis 65(3): 947–956. https://doi.org/10.11118/actaun201765030947.","Wiśniewski K. 2018. Pajęczaki (Arachnida) Gór Stołowych, pp. 1–456, In: Kabała C. Kadej M., Kącki Z., Mazur T., Miścicki S. (Eds.), Góry Stołowe – przyroda i ludzie. Kudowa Zdrój, Park Narodowy Gór Stołowych.","World Spider Catalog 2022. World Spider Catalog. Version 23.0. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch, dostęp: 19.05.2022. doi: 10.24436/2.","Woźny M. 1985. Pająki (Aranei) Wału Trzebnickiego. Fragmenta Faunistica 29: 39–76.","Woźny M., Szymkowiak P. 2000. Epigeic spiders of the pastures of northern Wielkopolska. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 20: 1–25.","Żabka M. 1997. Salticidae – Pająki skaczące (Arachnida: Araneae). Fauna Polski 19. MiIZ PAN Warszawa: 189 pp."]}

The purpose of this study was to assess the spine and hip range of motion and foot angles in adolescent female dancers as compared to those of non-dancing females of the same age. Twenty adolescent female ballet dancers (DANCE) and a control group (CON) of 20 adolescent females were examined. The inclusion criterion for the study group was participation in dance training for over 10 years. Spine and hip range of motion (ROM) assessments were carried out using a goniometer and centimeter tape. Foot angles were assessed using a podoscope. In spinal ROM examination, statistically significant differences were demonstrated in the Tomayer’s test, thoracic spine mobility, and lumbar rotation ranges. During foot angles evaluation, statistically significant differences were demonstrated in the Hallux Valgus angle of both feet. Ballet dancers developed greater hallux valgus in both the dominant and non-dominant limbs. They demonstrated higher flexion and extension range of motion in the thoracic spinal segment and the lumbar spine movement for the extension and rotation. The obtained results demonstrate that adolescent ballet dancers are predisposed to an increased risk of pain related to the trauma of the musculoskeletal system.

The paper presents a new analytical four-layer (air–water–bottom–non-conductive layer) horizontal electric dipole model which allows an accurate approximation of ship's Underwater Electric Potential (UEP) from a sufficient depth in shallow coastal marine waters. The numerical methods, usually Finite Element Method (FEM) or Boundary Elements Method (BEM), are typically used to estimate the electric field and the distribution of static electric components of UEP around the ship. These methods enable analyses with high accuracy but, compared to other point-electrode methods and the proposed analytical model, they are relatively complex and need high computational time. The developed analytical model proposed in this paper allows real-time calculations without significant loss of accuracy of the UEP estimations. In the model, the problem of boundary values at the borders of individual layers is solved using the reflection/image method and applying the idea of continuity of electric potential at a given boundary between two adjacent layers. Its accuracy is verified based on the synthetic data provided by specialised software packages making use of FEM and BEM numerical methods. A dimensionless quantitative analysis of the relationships between basic parameters of the proposed four-layer analytical model and their impact on the accuracy of representation of individual electric field strength components is also delivered. The relationships between water and bottom conductivity and between water depth and bottom thickness are investigated and described. The obtained results show that the developed model allows detailed and reliable analysis of the electric field, especially in shallow coastal waters.

Objectives: This paper presents and discusses the rate and outcome of salvage according to various factors for patients with sinonasal squamous cell carcinoma (SNSCC). Methods: Data of 79 patients treated radically due to SNSCC between 2000 and 2016 in the National Cancer Research Institute, Gliwice branch, were analyzed. Surgery was the primary treatment in 63 (79%) of patients. The ratio, type, and effectiveness of salvage was assessed and correlated with prognostic factors. Probabilities of overall survival (OS), local control (LC), nodal control (NC), and locoregional control (LRC) were assessed and compared between the groups. Results: The 5-year LC, NC, and LRC survival rates were 62%, 75%, and 53%, respectively. The 5-year OS rate was 51%. In 34 (43%) patients, treatment failure was reported, and salvage was performed in 17 (50%) of them. It was shown that patients after any salvage had significantly longer 2- and 3-year OS rates when compared to patients with no salvage: 52% vs. 7% and 38% vs. 0%, respectively (p = 0.004). Two- and three-year OS rates for patients after effective and ineffective salvage were 83% vs. 33% and 83% vs. 11%, respectively (p = 0.02). For patients with effective salvage, OS did not differ significantly when compared to the OS of primarily cured patients (p = 0.6). Conclusions: For SNSCC patients after treatment failure, salvage is possible in half of the cases and can improve their overall survival even if not finally successful. Moreover, effective salvage can compensate for the failure and give the same ultimate OS as in primarily cured patients.

Background: Radiotherapy plays an essential role in the treatment of oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC). The aim of this study was to assess and compare the nutritional status (NS) of patients with HPV-related (HPV+) and non-HPV-related (HPV-) OPC before and after radiotherapy (RT) or chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Methods: The analysis included 127 patients with OPC who underwent radiotherapy (RT) alone, or in combination with chemotherapy (CRT), in the I Radiation and Clinical Oncology Department of Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Gliwice Branch, Poland. Patients were divided according to HPV status. Confirmation of HPV etiology was obtained from FFPE (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded) tissue material and/or extracellular circulating HPV DNA. Basic anthropometric and biochemical parameters before and after RT/CRT were compared between the HPV- and HPV+ groups. The effect of NS on survival was also analyzed. Results: In both groups, a significant decrease in all analyzed nutritional parameters was noted after RT/CRT (p < 0.01). CRT caused significant weight loss and decreases in BMI, albumin, total lymphocyte count (TLC), and hemoglobin concentration, as well as an increase in the Nutritional Risk Score (NRS) 2002, in HPV- and HPV+ patients. A significant decrease in prealbumin levels after CRT was noted only in HPV+ patients. RT caused a significant decrease in hemoglobin concentration and TLC in HPV- patients. There were no significant differences regarding other nutritional parameters after RT in either group. RT did not have negative impact on body mass index (BMI), weight, NRS, CRP, Alb, Prealb, or PNI. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were significantly better in patients with a higher BMI in the HPV- group (OS, p = 0.011; DFS, p = 0.028); DFS was significantly better in patients with C-reactive protein (CRP) < 3.5 g/dL in the HPV- (p = 0.021) and HPV+ (p = 0.018) groups, and with total lymphocyte count (TLC) >1.28/mm3 in the HPV+ group (p = 0.014). Higher NRS 2002 was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS and DFS in HPV-, but not in the HPV+ group. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that both OS and DFS were significantly better in HPV- patients with lower NRS 2002 scores. However, this relationship was not observed in the HPV+ group. Conclusions: Regardless of HPV status, patients with OPC can develop malnutrition during RT/CRT. Therefore, nutritional support during RT/CRT is required in patients with HPV- and HPV+ OPC.

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/FGF receptor (FGFR), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)/PDGF receptor (PDGFR) systems, as well as some matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs), are involved in various steps of angiogenesis. Data indicate that common germline variations in angiogenesis-regulating genes may modulate therapy results and cancer progression. However, whether these variants affect clinical outcome in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is unclear. Hence, we assessed the relationship between FGF/FGFR, PDGF/PDGFR, MMP, and TIMP genetic variants and treatment outcomes in HNSCC patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) alone or combined with cisplatin-based chemotherapy. In multivariate analysis, FGF2 rs1048201 CC homozygotes showed a higher risk of death (p = 0.039), while PDGFRA rs2228230 T was strongly associated with an increased risk of locoregional relapse (HR 2.49, p = 0.001) in the combination treatment subgroup. In the RT alone subset, MMP2 rs243865 TT carriers had a higher risk of locoregional recurrence (HR 2.92, p = 0.019), whereas PDGFRB rs246395 CC homozygotes were at increased risk of metastasis (HR 3.06, p = 0.041). The MMP2 rs7201 C and TIMP2 rs7501477 T were associated with a risk of locoregional failure in the entire cohort (p = 0.032 and 0.045, respectively). Furthermore, rs1048201, rs2228230, rs246395, rs243865, rs7201, and rs7201/rs7501477 were independent indicators of an unfavorable outcome. This study demonstrates that the FGF2, PDGFRA, PDGFRB, MMP2, and TIMP2 variants may contribute to treatment failure and poor prognosis in HNSCC.

First record of Solenopsis fugax (Latreill e, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Sandomierska Lowland. Solenopsis fugax is an ant species living in close proximity of nests of other ant species, where it predates on their brood and food. Due to its small size and cryptic life style it is rarely collected. Over a dozen known sites of this species is dispersed throughout Poland. This work presents the first locality in Sandomierska Lowland.

Badgers can gather huge quantities of organic material to build their nests for winter time and to rear their cubs. Moreover, badger burrows (setts) are characterized by specific microclimate with quite stable temperature and humidity. Their fauna is poorly studied, especially in respect of saprobiontic Uropodina mites. In 2018–2019, we monitored 94 badger setts to search for nest material that had been thrown away during cleaning of the chambers after mating and winter sleep. In the collected material from 32 badger nests, we found 413 Uropodina mites of 16 species, in various stages of development (adults, protonymphs, and deutonymphs). The community was dominated by three mite species: Trematura patavina (22.5%, n = 93), Oodinychus ovalis (17.2%, n = 71), and Olodiscus minima (15.5%, n = 64). Other nidicolous—i.e., nest-dwelling—species included: Nenteria oudemansi (14.8%, n = 61), Phaulodiaspis borealis (7.0%, n = 29), Phaulodiaspis rackei (4.6%, n = 19), Uroseius hunzikeri (1.7%, n = 7), Uropoda orbicularis (1.5%, n = 6), and Apionoseius infirmus (1.0%, n = 4). The most frequent species were: Oodinychus ovalis (62.5%, 20 nests), N. oudemansi (46.9%, 15 nests), and Olodiscus minima (40.6%, 13 nests). Detrended correspondence analysis indicated that the Uropodina community from badger nests differed from that of mole nests, studied earlier. In setts, the Uropodina community included T. patavina and N. oudemansi, which were for the first time recorded from underground badger nests. This is the first record of N. oudemansi from Poland.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is highly frequent among patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma, but the viral load (VL) differs between patients. This study aimed to compare the rate of HPV positivity, HPV16VL, p16INK4A and p53 expression between treatment naive and recurrent anal cancer patients. HPV was genotyped via AmpliSens® HPV HCR-genotype-titre-FRT kit. HPV16 VL was determined via quantitative polymerase chain reaction-based in-house test. p16INK4A and p53 expression was tested via immunohistochemistry. The cohort comprised 13 treatment-naive and 17 recurrent anal SCC patients. High-risk HPV was detected in 87% of cases, and HPV16 (73%) was the predominant genotype. The rate of HPV positivity was higher among women and nonsmokers, and majority of HPV-positive cases were also p16INK4A-positive. All p53-negative tumors were HPV16-positive. The most predominant p53 staining pattern in the HPV-positive group was scattered type, whereas it was diffuse type in the HPV-negative group. The HPV16 VL was higher in the treatment-naive group. Further, in the treatment-naive group, cases with scattered staining pattern of p53 had higher HPV16 VL than cases with diffuse staining pattern. The opposite result was noted in the recurrent cancer group. Moreover, p16-positive cases with scattered p53 staining pattern in the treatment naive group had higher HPV16 VL than their counterparts in the recurrent cancer group. In conclusion, the HPV VL, as is the association between VL and p16INK4A /p53, is in an inversed trend in treatment naive and recurrent cancer patients, highlighting the importance of HPV VL measurement in anal SCC.

Urban green areas have become an important tool for biodiversity conservation in cities. However, land use and the different management practices applied to these areas determine their effectiveness as biodiversity refuges within cities. In our study, we compare the biodiversity of three bioindicator groups of arthropods (ants, spiders and harvestmen) found in eleven urban green sites in Warsaw (Poland). The studied sites represent three categories of management: botanical gardens, public parks and urban woodlands. Our aim was to determine the effect of the type of management (as urban green categories) on arthropod communities in urban areas.

Head and neck cancer is a serious clinical and social problem. Surgery and radiotherapy play the most important role in treatment and give the chance of cure. Optimal treatment of patients with head and neck cancer should provide for the maximum destruction of cancerous tissue, saving as much healthy tissue as possible. Despite this, due to radiotherapy still almost 90% of patients develop skin symptoms. It seems that the mechanism of radiodermatitis is quite clear, but studies assume that its pathogenesis is not fully understood and there is much to be clarified. Acute and chronic dermatitis caused by radiotherapy is usually diagnosed according to clinical criteria. It seems that it would be useful to have a photographic classification that would facilitate and unify the clinical evaluation. In this article we shall summarize the current knowledge about the mechanisms of formation, risk factors, clinical classifications and methods for the prevention and treatment of acute and chronic radiation dermatitis. We have included clinical photos that depict individual stages according to the clinical classification of RTOG.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus with a high oncogenic potential (HR-HPV) is responsible for more than a half of squamous cell carcinomas of the oropharynx. The HR-HPV-dependent cases of this tumour have a better prognosis compared to the HR-HPV-negative cases, despite the usually more advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. In addition to genetic and epigenetic factors, the causes of this more favourable course of the disease are also seen in the participation of the tumour microenvironment, including the patient’s immune system. Macrophages are one of the most important elements of the immunocompetent cells landscape that make up the tumour microenvironment. Traditionally, they are divided into 2 groups: inflammatory macrophages with the M1 phenotype and tumour-associated macrophages known as M2 phenotype macrophages. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the macrophage infiltrates intensity of the M1/M2 and M2 phenotype separately on the clinical outcome of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx (OPSCC), taking into account the HR-HPV status of tumours. Methods: The study involved 85 patients with OPSCC in which HR-HPV status in tumour tissue was determined using a double-check algorithm including the detection of viral DNA by RT-PCR method with subsequent confirmation of its biological activity by immunohistochemical demonstrating the P16INK4A protein overexpression. In each of the groups formed on the basis of HR-HPV status, macrophages were discriminated using CD68 and CD163 proteins as markers of pan-macrophage and M2 phenotype. The intensity of infiltrates was quantified by means of computer-assisted analysis in digital images of whole slides (virtual slides) separately in tumour tissue and stroma. Results: In HPV-positive patients, significantly more intense infiltration of both M1/M2 and M2 macrophages was found in the tumour stroma compared to HPV-negative patients. The infiltrates from both types of macrophages in the tumour tissue were less intense and did not differ between these groups. Intensive infiltration of CD68+ macrophages in the tumour front was associated with higher rate of nodal failures and a shorter nodal control in both HR-HPV groups. In the group of HR-HPV-negative patients, heavy infiltration of CD163+ macrophages was associated with significantly shorter: loco-regional control (LRC), metastasis-free survival and overall survival (OS). These parameters and prognosis in patients with scanty CD163+ infiltration were similar to favourable outcomes in HR-HPV-positive patients. The relative risk of local-regional recurrence, distant metastases and disease-related death in HR-HPV-negative patients with intense CD163+ infiltrates was, respectively, 4.7, 5.4 and 5.7 compared to patients with scanty infiltrates. Conclusions: Tumours with a positive HR-HPV status demonstrate intense infiltrations of total pool M1/M2 and M2 macrophages. In the group of HPV-negative patients, intensive M1/M2 macrophage infiltrates correlate with higher risk of nodal failures, and intensive M2 infiltrates are an adverse prognostic factor for LRC, metastasis-free survival and OS.

In the years 2004-2018, data on bats wintering in 9 sites of the Northern Group of the Soviet Army (PGWAR) stationed in the years 1945-1993 in Poland were obtained. A total of at least 11 bat species were found: greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis, Natterer’s bat M. nattereri, Daubenton’s bat M. daubentonii, Bechstein’s bat M. bechsteinii, whiskered/Brandt’s/Alcathoe bats M. mystacinus/brandtii/alcathoe, brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritus, grey long-eared bat P. austriacus, western barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus, serotine bat Eptesicus serotinus, common noctule Nyctalus noctula, common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus and bats determined to the genus Pipistrellus. From 6 to 449 individuals hibernated in the facilities. Noteworthy is the presence of three species from Annex II of the Habitats Directive of EU. In most of the facilities, M. myotis and B. barbastellus were found, and M. bechsteinii in Wilkocin only. Wintering sites were used by numerous bats and also by endangered species therefore those buildings should be advisable to be covered with forms of nature protection.

Recent findings have shown that human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA is present in the blood as a tumor-specific biomarker (circulating tumor-related HPV; ctHPV) in patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-related OPC). The molecular response (MR) in patients with HPV-related OPC can be defined as the change in the number of ctHPV copies in relation to its initial quantity. The optimal model for assessing the MR using a liquid biopsy (LB) should be based on the E6/E7 sequences of the viral genome. MR assessment can help to evaluate the intensity of ongoing treatments in relation to the tumor response. The evaluation of the residual disease at the end of therapy may also be performed by MR assessment. If a partial MR (pMR) is found, caution is indicated and a subsequent LB should be considered, due to the likelihood of disease progression. Complete radiological and clinical responses together with a complete MR (cMR) convincingly indicate a low risk of treatment failure. Moreover, molecular recurrence (Mrec) during a follow-up, confirmed in two consecutive assays, even despite the lack of any other clinical or radiological symptoms of progression, indicates patients at high risk of disease recurrence. In conclusion, MR by ctHPV assessment may hasten the early detection of disease progression, at any stage of the management of the patient with HPV-related OPC.

The addition of CDK4/6 inhibitors to endocrine therapy in advanced hormone receptor-positive HER2-negative breast cancer has led to practice-changing improvements in overall survival. However, data concerning the safety of CDK4/6i combination with radiotherapy (RT) are conflicting. A retrospective evaluation of 288 advanced breast cancer patients (pts) treated with CDK4/6i was performed, and 100 pts also received RT. Forty-six pts received 63 RT courses concurrently and fifty-four sequentially before CDK4/6i initiation (76 RT courses). Neutropenia was common (79%) and more frequent during and after concurrent RT than sequential RT (86% vs. 76%); however, CDK4/6i dose reduction rates were similar. In patients treated with CDK4/6i alone, the dose reduction rate was 42% (79 pts) versus 38% with combined therapy, and 5% discontinued treatment due to toxicity in the combined group. The risk of CDK4/6i dose reduction was correlated with neutropenia grade, RT performed within the first two CDK4/6i cycles, and more than one concurrent RT; a tendency was observed in concurrent bone irradiation. However, on multivariate regression analysis, only ECOG 1 performance status and severe neutropenia at the beginning of the second cycle were found to be associated with a higher risk of CDK4/6i dose reduction. This largest single-center experience published to date confirmed the acceptable safety profile of the CDK4/6i and RT combination without a significantly increased toxicity compared with CDK4/6i alone. However, one might delay RT for the first two CDK4/6i cycles, when myelotoxic AE are most common.

State-of-art normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models do not take into account more complex individual anatomical variations, which can be objectively quantitated and compared in radiomic analysis. The goal of this project was development of radiomic NTCP model for radiation-induced hypothyroidism (RIHT) using imaging biomarkers (radiomics). We gathered CT images and clinical data from 98 patients, who underwent intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancers with a planned total dose of 70.0 Gy (33–35 fractions). During the 28-month (median) follow-up 27 patients (28%) developed RIHT. For each patient, we extracted 1316 radiomic features from original and transformed images using manually contoured thyroid masks. Creating models based on clinical, radiomic features or a combination thereof, we considered 3 variants of data preprocessing. Based on their performance metrics (sensitivity, specificity), we picked best models for each variant ((0.8, 0.96), (0.9, 0.93), (0.9, 0.89) variant-wise) and compared them with external NTCP models ((0.82, 0.88), (0.82, 0.88), (0.76, 0.91)). Our models reach accuracy comparable with or better than previously presented non-radiomic NTCP models. The benefit of our approach is obtaining the RIHT predictions before treatment planning to adjust IMRT plan to avoid the thyroid region in most susceptible patients.

The importance of dead wood in forest ecosystems for the existence of invertebrates has been widely discussed in the literature. The major aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that the presence of dead wood in forests considerably increases the species diversity of Uropodina (Acari: Parasitiformes) communities in a given area. The areas selected for the study are unique from a natural point of view. They are the Białowieża Primeval Forest, Cisy Staropolskie im. Leona Wyczółkowskiego Nature Reserve, and five oak-hornbeam nature reserves in western Poland. The study is based on materials collected since the 1960s of the last century. The highest number of species (37) both in soil and dead wood microhabitats was recorded in the Białowieża Primeval Forest and Cisy Staropolskie Nature Reserve, though the dead wood material from the second area contained the highest number of species (33). The results of the analysis show that the presence of dead wood increases species diversity of Uropodina communities in all locations under scrutiny. Moreover, dead wood increases the species diversity of Uropodina communities by attracting rare and stenotopic species, and therefore leaving dead trees in forests is extremely important for the habitat protection of these species.

Several immune and hematological parameters are associated with survival in patients with oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). The aim of the study was to analyze selected immune and hematological parameters of patients with HPV-related (HPV+) and HPV-unrelated (HPV-) OPC, before and after radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy (RT/CRT) and to assess the impact of these parameters on survival. One hundred twenty seven patients with HPV+ and HPV− OPC, treated with RT alone or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT), were included. Patients were divided according to HPV status. Confirmation of HPV etiology was obtained from FFPE (Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded) tissue samples and/or extracellular circulating HPV DNA was determined. The pre-treatment and post-treatment laboratory blood parameters were compared in both groups. The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and systemic immune inflammation (SII) index were calculated. The impact of these parameters on overall (OS) and disease-free (DFS) survival was analyzed. In HPV+ patients, a high pre-treatment white blood cells (WBC) count (&gt, 8.33 /mm3), NLR (&gt, 2.13), SII (&gt, 448.60) significantly correlated with reduced OS, whereas high NLR (&gt, 2.29), SII (&gt, 462.58) significantly correlated with reduced DFS. A higher pre-treatment NLR and SII were significant poor prognostic factors for both OS and DFS in the HPV+ group. These associations were not apparent in HPV− patients. There are different pre-treatment and post-treatment immune and hematological prognostic factors for OS and DFS in HPV+ and HPV− patients. The immune ratios could be considered valuable biomarkers for risk stratification and differentiation for HPV− and HPV+ OPC patients.

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is highly prevalent in southern Chinese populations but it is rare in most parts of the world. A few studies were performed in nonendemic regions of the world, and suggested the prognostic value of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA load in blood. In this study, EBV DNA presence and viral load (VL) level in the blood of patients with NPC in Polish population were presented. In addition, its prognostic value for locoregional control among other clinicopathological features was evaluated. Patients with carcinoma of the nasopharynx treated definitively with radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy were included in the study. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for quantitating of EBV DNA in plasma. Among patients with NPC, 51% (22 of 43) were classified as EBV-positive with the mean of the VL of 4934 ± 8693 copies/mL. Multiple regression analysis between log EBV DNA VL and clinical parameters revealed that the most important factors increasing the VLs were advanced N disease together with no-smoking status and advanced T tumors. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that T3-T4 tumors were an independent prognostic factor for poor locoregional control. Analysis for the subgroup of patients with T1-T2 tumors showed that T1-T2 EBV-negative patients had better locoregional control compared with T1-T2 EBV-positive, though without statistical significance. In conclusion, it seems that EBV DNA determination may have an important role in diagnostics of patients with NPC with T1-T2 tumors indicating a subgroup with poorer prognosis, though it needs to be proven on a larger cohort.

This paper presents a novel approach to the design of explainable recommender systems. It is based on the Wang–Mendel algorithm of fuzzy rule generation. A method for the learning and reduction of the fuzzy recommender is proposed along with feature encoding. Three criteria, including the Akaike information criterion, are used for evaluating an optimal balance between recommender accuracy and interpretability. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the presented recommender system and illustrate its performance on the MovieLens 10M dataset.

Introduction Carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP) refers to 1-5% of all head and neck neoplasms. Very often, the primary site remains difficult to determine. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent histopathological type diagnosed in the head and neck region. According to statistics, a primary site is usually located in the oropharynx. Study objective The study presents diagnostic difficulties and the methods of diagnosing and the therapy of CUP and primary sites in patients treated in the region of Lower Silesia and Silesia. The aim of the study was to show a retrospective analysis of 233 CUP patients to assess how clinical features, diagnosis and treatment affect the survival of patients. Material and methods The diagnostics of patients included panendoscopy with specimen collection (nasoendoscopy, laryngoscopy, esophagoscopy, brochoscopy), computed tomography examination of the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis minor, as well as positron emission tomography examination. Tonsilletomy was performed in 37 patients. Neck dissection was carried out in 109 subjects and 165 patients were treated bt radiotherapy, and 135 by chemotherapy. Conclusions Tonsillectomy is required in CUP patients with the negative results of biopsy and imaging tests. It gives a possibility of detecting the primary site and improves the results of treatment and survival of CUP patients.Combination therapy, including surgical treatment and chemoradiotherapy, gives the best therapeutic results in CUP patients. The general condition of patient and younger age have an impact on prognosis and survival.

Data on the distribution of Aegialiinae in Poland are summarized, and some new records are added. Photographs of all the species occurring in Poland and an identification key to them are provided, along with some fresh aspects of their biology. The aedeagus and epipharynx of all species present in Poland are illustrated photographically for the first time.

Bird and mammal nests provide microhabitats that support a range of other species, including invertebrates. However, the variation between communities of nest-dwelling invertebrates in different nests is poorly understood. The major aim of this study was to analyze the assemblage structure of mites from the suborder Uropodina (Acari: Mesostigmata) and from superfamily Crotonioidea (Acari: Oribatida) inhabiting nests of the wood warbler, Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Aves: Passeriformes), located on a forest floor in Białowieża Forest, in eastern Poland. We also assessed the correlation between the nest material used by the birds with the assemblage structure of Uropodina mites, and compared the results with published studies of the nests of other birds and a mammal (common mole, Talpa europaea), and also with communities of mites inhabiting the soil. The field research was conducted in the strict nature reserve of the Białowieża National Park, a near-primeval European temperate forest. In 2019, immediately after the breeding period, 69 wood warbler nests and 439 soil samples were collected. Analyses revealed assemblages of Uropodina mites inhabiting the nests that consisted of 14 species, mostly common soil species. Only five species of oribatid mites from superfamily Crotonioidea were present in the nest material. Analyzed nests had a high percentage of tree leaves and grass blades, whereas moss was the least frequent component of the nest material. The Uropodina mites were more abundant in the nests that had greater amounts of grass blades, but similar relationships were insignificant for the nests with varying amounts of tree leaves or moss. The assemblages of Uropodina mites inhabiting wood warbler nests were very similar to those found in soil and nests of the common mole, but they lacked typical nest-dwelling species of Uropodina (i.e., specialized nidicoles).

Severe xerostomia is noted in the majority of patients irradiated for oropharyngeal cancer. Extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs) may serve as effective tools allowing prediction of radiation-related toxicity. The aim of this study was to create an efficient prognostic miRNA-based test for severe, patient-rated xerostomia 3 months after primary treatment.This prospective study enrolled patients with oropharyngeal cancer treated between 2016 and 2018 in 3 centers in Poland. The primary endpoint was severe (grade ≥3) xerostomia as assessed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer HN-35 questionnaires. Initially, a group of 10 patients with severe xerostomia was randomly selected and matched with a comparative group of 10 patients without severe xerostomia. Samples were collected before radiation therapy, after receiving 20 Gy, and within 24 hours after treatment completion. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction arrays (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany) were used to quantify expression levels of 752 miRNAs in the serum at all timepoints. The resulting logistic-regression based model was validated in additional 60 patients: 30 with grade3 xerostomia and 30 without.Of 152 eligible patients, we successfully recruited 111 patients. Severe xerostomia 3 months after treatment was reported by 63 patients (56.8%). Mean dose delivered to parotid glands was higher in both the exploratory and validation cohort. The model based on miR-185-5p and miR-425-5p expression levels measured before the start of radiation therapy had an area under the curve of 0.96 (95% confidence interval, 0.88-1.00). The model based on the same miRNAs remained robust when parameters were measured after 20 Gy (area under the curve 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.75-1.00). These results were confirmed in the validation group. In the validation group, preradiation therapy model application yielded 73.3% sensitivity and 80.0% specificity. In the samples taken after 20 Gy, the same 2 miRNAs yielded 67.7% sensitivity and 72.4% specificity. The model including pretreatment miR-185-5p and miR-425-5p levels together with mean parotid dose yielded 90.0% sensitivity and 80.0% specificity. In the validation cohort, this model yielded 80.6% sensitivity and 55.2% specificity. The model based on miRNA levels measured after 20 Gy and mean parotid dose had 80.0% sensitivity and 100% specificity in the exploratory group. In the validation cohort its performance fell to 71.0% sensitivity and 58.6% specificity.Serum expression levels of miR-425-5p and miR-185-5p measured before the start of radiation therapy or during therapy (after 20 Gy) had significant prognostic value for the occurrence of severe xerostomia 3 months after treatment completion. The variability explained by miRNAs appears to be, at least partially, independent from that related to the dosimetric data.

There are 44 species and subspecies of the genus Alopecosa known in Europe, and 13 of them have so far been listed as occurring in Poland. Alopecosa sulzeri (Pavesi, 1873) is a xero- and thermophilic species distributed in the western Palearctic. In Europe, it occurs primarily in the south-east, while it is rare in Central Europe. Between 2007 and 2013, we recorded the species in the central-eastern, north-western and south-western parts of Poland. The sites of A. sulzeri in Poland are located at the northern limit of the geographic range of the species in Europe. Alopecosa sulzeri was caught at four sites in three regions, exclusively in xerothermic grasslands: in the Podlasie Bug Gorge, the Lower Oder Valley and the Trzebnickie Hills. The sites may be relict, or they may provide evidence of the spread of the species from sites located in neighbouring countries. Further spread of stenotopic, xerophilous A. sulzeri in Poland, if continued, is likely to be a slow process, due to the limited number of suitable habitats.

Simple Summary Hypothyroidism is a common complication of therapeutic irradiation in the neck area. Several dose-response models have been proposed to predict its’ occurrence based on clinical and radiomic features. We aimed to externally validate the results of five such models in a prospectively recruited cohort of 108 patients with oropharyngeal cancer. Two of the evaluated models, published by Rønjom et al. and by Boomsma et al., had satisfactory performance. Both models are based on mean thyroid dose and thyroid volume. Three remaining models, by Cella et al., Bakhshandeh et al. and Vogelius et al., performed significantly worse. Short-term change in the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) after radiation therapy was not indicative of hypothyroidism development in long term. We conclude that the models by Rønjom et al. and by Boomsma et al. are feasible for long-term prediction of hypothyroidism in oropharyngeal cancer survivors treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. Abstract We aimed to externally validate five normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) models for radiation-induced hypothyroidism (RIHT) in a prospectively recruited cohort of 108 patients with oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). NTCP scores were calculated using original published formulas. Plasma thyrotropin (TSH) level was additionally assessed in the short-term after RT. After a median of 28 months of follow-up, thirty one (28.7%) patients developed RIHT. Thyroid mean dose and thyroid volume were significant predictors of RIHT: odds ratio equal to 1.11 (95% CI 1.03–1.19) for mean thyroid dose and 0.87 (95%CI 0.81–0.93) for thyroid volume in univariate analyses. Two of the evaluated NTCP models, published by Rønjom et al. and by Boomsma et al., had satisfactory performance with accuracies of 0.87 (95%CI 0.79–0.93) and 0.84 (95%CI: 0.76–0.91), respectively. Three remaining models, by Cella et al., Bakhshandeh et al. and Vogelius et al., performed significantly worse, overestimating the risk of RIHT in this patient cohort. A short-term TSH level change relative to baseline was not indicative of RIHT development in the follow-up (OR 0.96, 95%CI: 0.65–1.42, p = 0.825). In conclusion, the models by Rønjom et al. and by Boomsma et al. demonstrated external validity and feasibility for long-term prediction of RIHT in survivors of OPC treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).

True-bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) overwintering under bark of the London planes Platanus x acerifolia in Poland. The paper presents the results of three-year studies conducted at 75 locations in Poland testing the use of the London planes for overwintering of true-bugs. Insects were sampled from the bark of trunks. Altogether 25 species of Heteroptera was recorded, including three invasive species that can considerable affect plane trees: Arocatus longiceps, Corythucha ciliata and Oxycarenus lavaterae., {"references":["Burakowski B., Mroczkowski M., Stefańska J. 1973. Beetles – Coleoptera, Chrząszcze — Coleoptera, Biegaczowate — Carabidae, cz. 1. Katalog fauny Polski 23(2): 1–184.","Bury J. 2020. Materiały do poznania rozmieszczenia lądowych pluskwiaków różnoskrzydłych (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) wybranych lokalizacji południowo-wschodniej Polski. Heteroptera Poloniae – Acta Faunistica 14: 37–51.","Czerniakowski Z., Olbrycht T. 2015. 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Angiogenesis is essential for growth, progression, and metastasis of solid tumors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)/VEGF receptor (VEGFR) and angiopoietin (ANGPT)/ tyrosine kinase endothelial (TEK) signaling plays an important role in regulating angiogenesis. Very little is known about the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in angiogenesis-related genes on treatment outcome in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Therefore, we evaluated the association between SNPs in ANGPT1, ANGPT2, TEK, VEGF, VEGFR1, and VEGFR2 genes and five clinical endpoints in 422 HNSCC patients receiving radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy. Multivariate analysis showed an association of ANGPT2 rs3739391, rs3020221 and TEK rs639225 with overall survival, and VEGF rs2010963 with overall and metastasis-free survival. VEGFR2 rs1870377 and VEGF rs699947 affected local recurrence-free survival in all patients. In the combination treatment subgroup, rs699947 predicted local, nodal, and loco-regional recurrence-free survival, whereas VEGFR2 rs2071559 showed an association with nodal recurrence-free survival. However, these associations were not statistically significant after multiple testing correction. Moreover, a strong cumulative effect of SNPs was observed that survived this adjustment. These SNPs and their combinations were independent risk factors for specific endpoints. Our data suggest that certain germline variants in ANGPT2/TEK and VEGF/VEGFR2 axes may have predictive and prognostic potential in HNSCC treated with radiation or chemoradiation.

This paper is a continuation of a series of publications on the distribution of true-bugs in Poland, and included new faunistic data for 315 species of true bugs. In total, data on 71 previously unreported species for 20 zoogeographical regions of Poland were presented, including some rarely collected: Aradus bimaculatus, A. signaticornis, Arocatus melanocephalus, Charagochilus spiralifer, Dichrooscytus gustavi, Dicyphus annulatus, Dictyla rotundata, Emblethis denticollis, Heterogaster cathariae, Leptopus marmoratus, Megalonotus praetextatus, Philomyrmex insignis, Prostemma guttula, Temnostethus reduvinus, and Tropidothorax leucopterus. Additionally, it is worth paying attention to the species that are alien to the Polish fauna or being in strong expansion: Halyomorpha halys, Leptoglossus occidentalis, Nezara viridula, Orsillus depressus, Oxycarenus lavaterae, and Tritomegas sexmaculatus. It is also noteworthy that this paper was largely prepared using the so-called Citizen Science, where many persons (non-specialist in Heteroptera) collected data constituting over 20% of the presented records. The information, based on the photographs and field observations, most often concerned species of relatively large sizes and unquestionable diagnostic features. What is most important, the true bugs recorded in this way included species very rarely collected in Poland, as well as the whole of the presented data on species alien to Polish fauna. Due to the lack of funding that is a major obstacle to the biodiversity studies in Poland, the use of Citizen Science seems to be the only way to monitor all the very dynamic changes taking place in national entomofauna effectively.

Background Early detection of treatment failure may improve clinical outcome and overall survival in patients with head and neck cancer after first-line treatment. Circulating cell-free HPV16 DNA (cfHPV16 DNA) was evaluated as a possible complementary marker to radiological assessment of early response in patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) after radiotherapy alone or combined with chemotherapy. Methods The study included 66 patients with HPV-related OPC receiving radical radiotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy. cfHPV16 DNA was assessed in the blood of all patients before treatment using TaqMan-based qPCR. Subsequent analysis of cfHPV16 DNA was performed 12 weeks after treatment completion, along with radiological assessment of early treatment results. Results Complete (CRR) and incomplete radiological response (IRR) was found in 43 (65%) and 23 (35%) patients respectively. cfHPV16 DNA was present in 5 (28%) patients with IRR, while only in 1 (4%) with CRR. Three of five patients with IRR that were positive for cfHPV16 DNA exhibited histopathologically confirmed local or regional treatment failure, and other two developed distant metastases. None of the patients with negative cfHPV16 DNA presented disease failure. Conclusion The post-treatment assessment of cfHPV16 DNA in patients with HPV-related OPC may be used as a complementary biomarker to conventional imaging-based examinations for early identification of treatment failure.

Chorological data from Western Poland concerning 19 species belonging to the subfamily Tenebrioninae have been demonstrated.

New chorological data concerning 9 species from the subfamily Diaperinae and 2 species from the subfamily Lagrinae have been presented. Cynaeus angustus (LEC.) has been recorded from a new locality in the Wielkopolsko-Kujawska Lowland, which indicates its expansion in Western Poland.

Anticancer treatment induces systemic molecular changes that could be detected at the level of biofluids. Understanding how human metabolism is influenced by these treatments is crucial to predict the individual response and adjust personalized therapies. Here, we aimed to compare profiles of metabolites in serum of head and neck cancer patients treated with concurrent chemo-radiotherapy, radiotherapy alone, or induction chemotherapy. Serum samples were analyzed by a targeted quantitative approach using combined direct flow injection and liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, which allowed simultaneous quantification of 149 metabolites. There were 45 metabolites whose levels were significantly changed between pretreatment and within- or post-treatment serum samples, including 38 phospholipids. Concurrent chemo-radiotherapy induced faster and stronger effects than radiotherapy alone. On the other hand, chemotherapy alone did not result in significant changes. The decreased level of total phospholipids was the most apparent effect observed during the first step of the treatment. This corresponded to the loss of patients’ body mass, yet no correlation between both parameters was observed for individual patients. We concluded that different molecular changes were measured at the level of serum metabolome in response to different treatment modalities.