Variations in hepatic vascularisation: lack of a proper hepatic artery. Two case reports

The blood supply of the liver and other abdominal organs plays a significant role during abdominal surgery. Knowledge of the most common patterns of vascularisation should be broadened and new anomalies of the celiac trunk and its branches dutifully reported. This paper presents two case reports which describe the lack of a proper hepatic artery. Case 1 describes the cadaver of a 64-year-old female in whom the right hepatic artery was observed to arise from the common hepatic artery and run behind the portal vein. The common hepatic artery was observed to be divided into three terminal vessels: the left hepatic artery, the gastroduodenal artery, and the right gastric artery. Case 2 describes the cadaver of a 75-year-old male with a liver that was supplied from 3 different sources: the left hepatic artery from the left gastric artery (which arose directly from the aorta), the right hepatic artery from the superior mesenteric artery, and the middle hepatic artery from the common hepatic artery — (branch of the hepato-splenic trunk). Moreover, the left inferior phrenic artery arose from the left hepatic artery. (Folia Morphol 2011; 70, 2: 130–134

The median nerve in the carpal tunnel

A study of the variations of the course and branching pattern of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel were carried out on 60 wrists from 30 fresh cadavers autopsied in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Jagiellonian University Medical College. The results were compared with the literature. The study confirmed that the extraligamentous type of motor branch variation is most common. The transligamentous course of the nerve is of special importance: it is usually accompanied by hypertrophic muscle, and the nerve hidden within this muscle can easily be cut during transection of the retinaculum. The results proved the necessity of approaching the median nerve from the ulnar side when opening the carpal tunnel. (Folia Morphol 2011; 70, 1: 41-46

Configurations of the circle of Willis: a computed tomography angiography based study on a Polish population

The aim of the study was to investigate the distribution of the circle of Willis variants in Polish population by means of computed tomography angiography (CTA). The results were then analysed and compared with another study that used similar methods but that was carried out on an ethnically distinct population. Patients presenting with intracranial pathology were excluded from the initial study population. In total, 250 CTA belonging to 129 female and 121 male patients were reviewed. A modified classification system of the circle was proposed, which took into consideration the anterior and the posterior aspects of the circle individually. The typical variant of Willis’s circle occurred in 16.80% of cases. The anterior and the posterior portions of the circle were normal in 47.20% and 26.80% of the patients respectively. As forthe anterior part, lack of the anterior communicating artery was the most frequent abnormality (22.80%). Bilateral absence of posterior communicating arteries was the most common anomaly in the posterior part of the circle (29.20%). This type of anomaly was also the most common, when taking into consideration the entire circle (12.00%). There were statistically significant differences between the age groupsand genders when considering the occurrence of an incomplete circle. Overall, a substantial proportion of patients manifested clinically important variants that were incapable of providing collateral circulation. Comparison with other imaging-based and cadaveric studies revealed noticeable differences, that may have resulted from the variable technical features of other studies or other factors such as the ethnical origins of the studied populations

Effect of Long-Term Zinc Pollution on Soil Microbial Community Resistance to Repeated Contamination

The aim of the study was to compare the effects of stress (contamination trials) on the microorganisms in zinc-polluted soil (5,018 mg Zn kg−1 soil dry weight) and unpolluted soil (141 mg Zn kg−1 soil dw), measured as soil respiration rate. In the laboratory, soils were subjected to copper contamination (0, 500, 1,500 and 4,500 mg kg−1 soil dw), and then a bactericide (oxytetracycline) combined with a fungicide (captan) along with glucose (10 mg g−1 soil dw each) were added. There was a highly significant effect of soil type, copper treatment and oxytetracycline/captan treatment. The initial respiration rate of chronically zinc-polluted soil was higher than that of unpolluted soil, but in the copper treatment it showed a greater decline. Microorganisms in copper-treated soil were more susceptible to oxytetracycline/captan contamination. After the successive soil contamination trials the decline of soil respiration was greater in zinc-polluted soil than in unpolluted soil

Increased prevalence of overweight and obesity among Polish children age 14-18 between 2001 and 2013 from Krakow, Poland - a cross-sectional study

Introduction: So far, very little data on pediatric obesity has been published in Poland, although the problem seems to be growing.Objective: To investigate present prevalence of overweight and obesity among schoolchildren using CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention) criteria in Krakow and to compare how it has changed between the years 2001 and 2013. Our aim was to establish the magnitude of this rising problem within the last decade.Materials and methods: The study was conducted in two phases. In 2001, height and weight of the group of schoolchildren were obtained. Twelve years later, children in the same age, attending the same schools, were measured and weighed. Using the collected data, BMI (kg/m2) was calculated in order to acquire BMI percentile. BMI cutoffs referential for Polish population were used.Results: Using the CDC criteria to diagnose children as obese or overweight, the authors determined that the prevalence of overweight, including obesity was 10.8% in 2001 and changed to 15.1% in 2013 (p=0.0054). The percentage of obese children increased from 2.0% to 4.8% (p=0.0012). The occurrence of overweight and obesity has increased among girls (p=0.0025; p=0.0112 respectively) while among the group of boys, it did not change. The factors associated with excess weight were: male sex (OR=1.48; 95%CI=1.13-1.95) and second phase of the study (OR= 1.48; 95%CI=1.13-1.95).Conclusion: Our study indicated that the prevalence of obesity and overweight among adolescents in Krakow rose within the last decade. The rising problem affected females more than males. Despite that, excess weight is still more frequent among males than females