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Brachytherapy: A Tool for Fighting Cancer

Imagine you are camping at night, and you are sitting inside a tent. You want to read a book, but it is too dark. If someone outside the tent shines a flashlight at the book, that might help – you might be able to do some reading, especially if the person with the flashlight is not too far away. If the person with the flashlight gets very close to the tent, it will probably be easier to read your book. If you have a flashlight with you inside the tent and you hold your flashlight right up next to the pages of the book, then you are really in business! Brachytherapy is a little like this flashlight, because doctors deliver a dose of radiation right up close to tumor cells instead of treating them from farther away.

There are several ways to treat cancer using radiation. [...] When healthcare providers use beams of radiation from outside the patient, like with the linear accelerator, that is a little like shining the flashlight from outside of the tent. This is a great option, especially if doctors can aim the beam very carefully at the target. Another way to treat cancer with radiation is by using little pieces of radioactive metal. If doctors put the radioactive source right into the tumor that they are trying to treat, the cancer cells will get a high dose of radiation. This is what is done in brachytherapy.

Radiation Seeds and Extra Special Robots

There are several ways healthcare providers can deliver brachytherapy treatments. The first one that we will talk about is to use lots of little capsules, called seeds. Even though they are called seeds, these are a lot different than the kind of seeds you use in your garden! These seeds are pretty small – they are each about the size of a grain of rice. A doctor can surgically implant these seeds directly inside a tumor. The seeds stay in place inside and, because they are radioactive, they release radiation right where the cancer is.

In another type of brachytherapy, healthcare providers can use a robot called an afterloader that controls where the radioactive source is placed in the patient. This robot can move the source through special tubes into the inside of a patient. When the treatment is over, the robot removes the source from the patient. When the radiation source is not being used for treatment, it sits inside a container inside the robot. That container is made of lead so that it blocks radiation. The afterloader can be controlled from outside the treatment room, so the doctor and other members of the healthcare team can be outside of the room while the source is outside of its special container and is being used to treat the patient. This makes delivering radiation safer for the medical team, because they are not exposed to radiation each time they treat a patient.

Available at: https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ frym.2024.1378550. Accessed on: July 27, 2024.

What links Sir Isaac Newton, alien solar systems, and a new multi-million dollar TV show? The answer is "the three-body problem": a conundrum in astronomy and mathematics that describes why it's often difficult to predict the long-term trajectory of planets, moons and stars. So, what exactly is the problem? And how did it end up becoming the title of a TV series?

 To understand, you first need to know a bit about the background to the TV show, and its premise. The story is based on Liu Cixin's epic sci-fi trilogy, the Remembrance of Earth’s Past , of which The Three-body Problem is the first book. The original trilogy is characterised by the author's attention to scientific detail. The adaptation is less so, but still crammed with scientific ideas.

The TV series focuses on the "Oxford Five", who all studied under the same professor at the University of Oxford. Some have gone on to become scientists themselves (a post-doctoral physics researcher, a founder and chief scientific officer of a nano-tech company, and a theoretical physics academic), one has become a school physics teacher, while the fifth is now a snack-food entrepreneur. Scientific credentials abound.

 The crux of the story is that an alien race – called the Trisolaransor San-Ti Ren – is headed to Earth to colonise it. Through intergalactic communication, these travellers attempt to intimidate human scientists into slowing down our rapid technological advancement, making Earth easier to conquer. But why are these aliens so hell-bent on taking over our planet in the first place? This is where the three-body problem comes in.

 Bodies, in this context, is a scientific byword for planets, moons, suns or any other massive astronomical object. The extraterrestrials' home planet is situated in a solar system with three suns, hence their name in the English translation of the book – the Trisolarans. This three-sun system can be highly unstable, making conditions difficult for life, hence the desire to travel across the Universe in order to inhabit our relatively stable Solar System. We only have one Sun, so Earth's future is relatively predictable – at least for the next few million years.

Fonte: YATES, kit. What is the three-body problem? The chaotic, cosmic mathematics behind the Netflix TV show. BBC, 2024. Dispon´ıvel em: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240328-the-science-astronomy-andmathematics-of-netflixs-3-body-problem-tv-show. Adaptado.

        Astronauts may have 'baby feet,' get shorter, face strange health problems after return

[1] NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore say gravity makes them tired. How their bodies changed after spending nine

months on the International Space Station.

April 1, 2025

By A. Pawlowski

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally ended their unexpected nine-month stay in space, but their health 
journey on Earth is far from over.  They may face a variety of health problems — from weaker bones and muscles to vision issues 
[5] and “baby feet” — as their bodies adjust back to the planet’s gravity. 
The astronauts underwent a thorough medical exam at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they were 
monitored for any cardiac, blood pressure, vision or neurological changes.  Williams said she's "feeling better and better" every 
day. "It's pretty much a miracle to see how your human body can adapt," she noted at the NASA news conference.   
While in space, many astronauts experience changes similar to what happens with aging, such as arterial stiffening and thickened 
[10] artery walls, NASA has found. Here are other health issues the astronauts may deal with after a long stay in space. 
Bones become about 1% less dense for each month in space, according to NASA, especially bones in the legs, hips and spine, 
which do the heavy lifting on Earth.  Muscles don’t need to work as hard in space so they, too, atrophy. All of it could lead to falls, 
bone fracture, osteoporosis and other medical problems once the mission is over.  As part of the adjustment, the astronauts will 
spend a few weeks doing supervised workouts — going to the gym with special trainers who'll instruct them to lift weights, move 
[15] around, run and do the things "they enjoy doing and that they need to do," told former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino.  NASA 
calls it "a progressive 45-day post-mission recovery program," and says most crew members recover within this period of time. 
After such a long time away from the planet, the astronauts' immune systems have undergone changes, experts say. "They have 
to deal with being back on Earth, so that means all the little germs and bugs that we have," said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, director of 
the aerospace neurology and human performance program at the Medical University of South Carolina. "Their immune system 
[20] has been suppressed over a period of time." 
Astronauts grow in space because the spinal column expands out without gravity. Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly became 2 
inches taller. On Earth, the spinal disks compress again so a “dramatic” back pain upon coming back can be experienced.  
Astronauts’ eyes and brain structure change in space because without gravity, “fluids in the body shift upward to the head, which 
may put pressure on the eyes and cause vision problems,” NASA says. Changes include swelling of the optic nerve, folds in the 
[25] retina, flattening of the back of the eye and blurry vision. Some changes may be permanent in some astronauts, NASA notes. 
Those changes are seen in astronauts even six months to a year after their return, which could impact their long-term health. 
The feet are designed to bear the body’s weight on Earth, so the skin on the bottom is tough and sturdy as people walk around. 
But since astronauts bounce and float in space, the feet don’t support much and the soles become delicate, said former NASA 
astronaut Leroy Chiao. “You basically lose the thick part of the skin on your feet that develops, and you kind of have baby feet 
[30] when you come back,” he told. The feet return to normal quickly, Chiao added. 

Retrieved and adapted from https://www.today.com/health/news/nasa-astronauts-return-possible-health-problems-rcna196862 Accessed on April 11th, 2025.

        Astronauts may have 'baby feet,' get shorter, face strange health problems after return

[1] NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore say gravity makes them tired. How their bodies changed after spending nine

months on the International Space Station.

April 1, 2025

By A. Pawlowski

NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore have finally ended their unexpected nine-month stay in space, but their health 
journey on Earth is far from over.  They may face a variety of health problems — from weaker bones and muscles to vision issues 
[5] and “baby feet” — as their bodies adjust back to the planet’s gravity. 
The astronauts underwent a thorough medical exam at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, where they were 
monitored for any cardiac, blood pressure, vision or neurological changes.  Williams said she's "feeling better and better" every 
day. "It's pretty much a miracle to see how your human body can adapt," she noted at the NASA news conference.   
While in space, many astronauts experience changes similar to what happens with aging, such as arterial stiffening and thickened 
[10] artery walls, NASA has found. Here are other health issues the astronauts may deal with after a long stay in space. 
Bones become about 1% less dense for each month in space, according to NASA, especially bones in the legs, hips and spine, 
which do the heavy lifting on Earth.  Muscles don’t need to work as hard in space so they, too, atrophy. All of it could lead to falls, 
bone fracture, osteoporosis and other medical problems once the mission is over.  As part of the adjustment, the astronauts will 
spend a few weeks doing supervised workouts — going to the gym with special trainers who'll instruct them to lift weights, move 
[15] around, run and do the things "they enjoy doing and that they need to do," told former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino.  NASA 
calls it "a progressive 45-day post-mission recovery program," and says most crew members recover within this period of time. 
After such a long time away from the planet, the astronauts' immune systems have undergone changes, experts say. "They have 
to deal with being back on Earth, so that means all the little germs and bugs that we have," said Dr. Mark Rosenberg, director of 
the aerospace neurology and human performance program at the Medical University of South Carolina. "Their immune system 
[20] has been suppressed over a period of time." 
Astronauts grow in space because the spinal column expands out without gravity. Former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly became 2 
inches taller. On Earth, the spinal disks compress again so a “dramatic” back pain upon coming back can be experienced.  
Astronauts’ eyes and brain structure change in space because without gravity, “fluids in the body shift upward to the head, which 
may put pressure on the eyes and cause vision problems,” NASA says. Changes include swelling of the optic nerve, folds in the 
[25] retina, flattening of the back of the eye and blurry vision. Some changes may be permanent in some astronauts, NASA notes. 
Those changes are seen in astronauts even six months to a year after their return, which could impact their long-term health. 
The feet are designed to bear the body’s weight on Earth, so the skin on the bottom is tough and sturdy as people walk around. 
But since astronauts bounce and float in space, the feet don’t support much and the soles become delicate, said former NASA 
astronaut Leroy Chiao. “You basically lose the thick part of the skin on your feet that develops, and you kind of have baby feet 
[30] when you come back,” he told. The feet return to normal quickly, Chiao added. 

Retrieved and adapted from https://www.today.com/health/news/nasa-astronauts-return-possible-health-problems-rcna196862 Accessed on April 11th, 2025.

[1]       ___________________________________________________________________ (title)

Aug. 7, 2024, 10:06 AM GMT-3 / Source: The Associated Press

By The Associated Press

As she practiced her complex moves and somersaults, aspiring gymnast 14-year-old Manuela Kriegel kept gazing at one of 
the walls of the Bonifácio Cardoso gym outside the Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo. It featured a painting of a national hero 
— Olympic champion and hometown favorite Rebeca Andrade — with two medals, a gold and a silver, that Andrade won at 
[5] the Tokyo Games three years ago. “This is outdated now,” Kriegel told The Associated Press on Tuesday after she finished 
her warm-up routines

Outdated indeed. The 25-year-old Andrade won four more medals at the Paris Olympics, including gold in the floor 
exercise with a narrow victory over star U.S. gymnast Simone Biles. The Guarulhos native has become the most decorated 
Olympian in the history of the South American nation, with six medals. 

[10] Dozens of girls lined up with their parents in the early hours of Tuesday at the public gymnasium where Andrade started her 
career 15 years ago. Some of those hopeful athletes in Guarulhos train there every day. Andrade’s early life in Guarulhos has 
inspired locals who copy her audacious moves and also those who love her resilience — she used to walk about one hour to 
get to the gym and had three ACL surgeries in her career. Andrade left Guarulhos for Brazil’s national team in 2010, moved to 
Rio de Janeiro shortly after and then started her rise in the sport.

[15] Kriegel, who took up the sport in 2019, wanted to give it up during the pandemic. But then Andrade’s performances in Tokyo 
— a gold medal in the vault event and a silver in the all-round competition — changed her mind and convinced her that Brazilian 
gymnasts can win at the Olympics. She is even more convinced now after her compatriot beat Biles in the floor exercise. “It is 
what Rebeca says. We have to trust the work we do here every day, get our training right and become confident in what we do 
when we are doing it,” said Kriegel, as 10 children aged between 5 and 10 years old entered the gym for a trial. “Before her it 
[20] wasn’t possible. And now it is much beyond what we expected.”

Mônica dos Anjos, a gymnastics teacher at the Bonifácio Cardoso and a referee in official competitions, was one of the first to 
see Andrade in action — when Andrade was 5. She said it didn’t take long for all staffers to be sure she would become a star. 
“I saw a little girl with that biotype. Strong, explosive, just playing,” Dos Anjos said. “Many girls started coming in 2021 because 
of Rebeca. Now they know it is possible. Rebeca was here, she jumped the same vault, performed on the same floor. Not all 
[25] will make it, but just dreaming about it and trying hard will open many doors for them in the future.” 
 

Kelly Mendes brought her daughter Lara Vicente to the gym five years ago, when Lara was only 7. There was no Andrade to 
inspire them then, but Brazil was already falling in love with gymnastics. Now, that passion is set to grow even more, she 
believes. “Guarulhos could have another Rebeca.” 

Retrieved and adapted from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/brazil-olympic-gymnast-andrade-hometown-rcna165519 Access on September 20th, 2024.

[1]       ___________________________________________________________________ (title)

Aug. 7, 2024, 10:06 AM GMT-3 / Source: The Associated Press

By The Associated Press

As she practiced her complex moves and somersaults, aspiring gymnast 14-year-old Manuela Kriegel kept gazing at one of 
the walls of the Bonifácio Cardoso gym outside the Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo. It featured a painting of a national hero 
— Olympic champion and hometown favorite Rebeca Andrade — with two medals, a gold and a silver, that Andrade won at 
[5] the Tokyo Games three years ago. “This is outdated now,” Kriegel told The Associated Press on Tuesday after she finished 
her warm-up routines

Outdated indeed. The 25-year-old Andrade won four more medals at the Paris Olympics, including gold in the floor 
exercise with a narrow victory over star U.S. gymnast Simone Biles. The Guarulhos native has become the most decorated 
Olympian in the history of the South American nation, with six medals. 

[10] Dozens of girls lined up with their parents in the early hours of Tuesday at the public gymnasium where Andrade started her 
career 15 years ago. Some of those hopeful athletes in Guarulhos train there every day. Andrade’s early life in Guarulhos has 
inspired locals who copy her audacious moves and also those who love her resilience — she used to walk about one hour to 
get to the gym and had three ACL surgeries in her career. Andrade left Guarulhos for Brazil’s national team in 2010, moved to 
Rio de Janeiro shortly after and then started her rise in the sport.

[15] Kriegel, who took up the sport in 2019, wanted to give it up during the pandemic. But then Andrade’s performances in Tokyo 
— a gold medal in the vault event and a silver in the all-round competition — changed her mind and convinced her that Brazilian 
gymnasts can win at the Olympics. She is even more convinced now after her compatriot beat Biles in the floor exercise. “It is 
what Rebeca says. We have to trust the work we do here every day, get our training right and become confident in what we do 
when we are doing it,” said Kriegel, as 10 children aged between 5 and 10 years old entered the gym for a trial. “Before her it 
[20] wasn’t possible. And now it is much beyond what we expected.”

Mônica dos Anjos, a gymnastics teacher at the Bonifácio Cardoso and a referee in official competitions, was one of the first to 
see Andrade in action — when Andrade was 5. She said it didn’t take long for all staffers to be sure she would become a star. 
“I saw a little girl with that biotype. Strong, explosive, just playing,” Dos Anjos said. “Many girls started coming in 2021 because 
of Rebeca. Now they know it is possible. Rebeca was here, she jumped the same vault, performed on the same floor. Not all 
[25] will make it, but just dreaming about it and trying hard will open many doors for them in the future.” 
 

Kelly Mendes brought her daughter Lara Vicente to the gym five years ago, when Lara was only 7. There was no Andrade to 
inspire them then, but Brazil was already falling in love with gymnastics. Now, that passion is set to grow even more, she 
believes. “Guarulhos could have another Rebeca.” 

Retrieved and adapted from https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/brazil-olympic-gymnast-andrade-hometown-rcna165519 Access on September 20th, 2024.