The medical student

The Medical Student was published from 1888-1921 by the students of Boston University School of Medicine

Radiations and male fertility

During recent years, an increasing percentage of male infertility has to be attributed to an array of environmental, health and lifestyle factors. Male infertility is likely to be affected by the intense exposure to heat and extreme exposure to pesticides, radiations, radioactivity and other hazardous substances. We are surrounded by several types of ionizing and non-ionizing radiations and both have recognized causative effects on spermatogenesis. Since it is impossible to cover all types of radiation sources and their biological effects under a single title, this review is focusing on radiation deriving from cell phones, laptops, Wi-Fi and microwave ovens, as these are the most common sources of non-ionizing radiations, which may contribute to the cause of infertility by exploring the effect of exposure to radiofrequency radiations on the male fertility pattern. From currently available studies it is clear that radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) have deleterious effects on sperm parameters (like sperm count, morphology, motility), affects the role of kinases in cellular metabolism and the endocrine system, and produces genotoxicity, genomic instability and oxidative stress. This is followed with protective measures for these radiations and future recommendations. The study concludes that the RF-EMF may induce oxidative stress with an increased level of reactive oxygen species, which may lead to infertility. This has been concluded based on available evidences from in vitro and in vivo studies suggesting that RF-EMF exposure negatively affects sperm quality

Chapter 22 - Surgery of brainstem lesions

During the past 20 years, surgery of the brainstem has continued to represent a challenge in neurosurgery. During the 1990s a more rational and constructive approach to the surgical management of neoplastic and vascular brainstem lesions emerged. This trend has continued into the new millennium, thanks also to technological innovations such as fiber tracking, neuronavigation, intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and refined skull base approaches. Since 2001, when the first edition of this book was published, the field of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (ION) has also dramatically evolved. Yet, in those years, the cornerstone of brainstem ION techniques such as mapping of the floor of the fourth ventricle or corticobulbar motor-evoked potentials were already part of the clinical practice in some of the most experienced neurosurgical centers. During the past two decades, these techniques have become more common at many more institutions, and the cumulative experience has allowed us to better define the value and the limitations of these techniques. In this new edition, we have largely maintained all the relevant information on the functional neuroanatomy of the brainstem, which remains invaluable for a modern approach to brainstem surgery, and on the main surgical approaches to the midbrain, pons, and medulla. While the various ION techniques that are used in brainstem surgery are described elsewhere in this book, at the end of this chapter, we will shortly review their impact in our practice based on a 20-year experience with using ION-guided brainstem surgery