Heavy metals toxicity

Even though heavy metals are the oldest known toxins harmful to humans, heavy metal toxicity is still a topic that requires further investigation. This paper aims το provid an overview on the most dangerous heavy metals and their negative effects on the human health.Arsenic (As) contaminated underground water and arsenic based agricultural products have generated a worldwide increase of illnesses and deaths that are mainly due to various types of cancer and skin disorders. Industrialization and manufactur­ing made ead (Pb) poisoning a common occurrence, forcing governments to take measures to decrease lead usage. Mercury (Hg), being highly bioaccumulative and with an increasing presence in the environment, when consumed through food is proven to be especially harmful to lactating mothers, fetuses and children. The vast use of admium (Cd) for technological and agricultural purposes poses a high risk of occupational and non-occupational exposure of humans to that element, since it has been confirmed to cause carcinogenesis. Public awareness of the topic is necessary in order to prevent future increase of heavy metal related human diseases and deaths

The Effect of Different Types of Warm-Up Protocols on the Range of Motion and on Motor Abilities of Rhythmic Gymnastics Athletes and Ballet Dancers

The aim of this study was to examine the short-term effects of different types of warming up on the range of motion and on motor abilities of rhythmic gymnasts and ballet athletes. Twenty-five athletes participated in this study (11 ballet dancers and 14 rhythmic gymnasts), aged 14,72±1,43. All participants followed an intervention consisting of two warm-up protocols, one with static stretching exercises and the other with dynamic warm up protocol. The two protocols were implemented on two different days for one week. Range of motion (ROM) and hop test measurements were carried out before and after each warm-up session. For the statistical analysis, non-parametric (Wilcoxon) tests and Friedman test were used, and the level of significance was set at p < 0.05. The results showed that both warm-ups had positive effects on ROM and on motor abilities. After applying both protocols, significant differences were observed in all joints. In conclusion, both types of warm-up routines resulted in almost the same level of improvement in ROM and motor abilities; however, it was observed that after the dynamic warm up there was a slightly increased improvement in motor abilities, but it was not statistically significant

Microanatomic Morphometric Characteristics of the Third Ventricle Floor

Background: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is an effective treatment for hydrocephalus. The in-depth understanding of microanatomy is essential for accurate diagnosis, treatment and complications prevention. The aim of this study is to supplement the knowledge gap regarding the microanatomical metrics and correlations for which the literature includes only scarce mentions at best. Methods: This is a descriptive microanatomical study including 25 cadaver brains. Specimens from donors with neurological, psychiatric disorders or alcohol abuse were excluded. Surgical loops were used for harvesting. High-precision tools were employed to dissect and measure the anatomical landmarks under a surgical microscope. Each measurement was performed in three consecutive attempts and outliers were rejected. RStudio was used for statistical analysis. Distribution was evaluated employing the Shapiro–Wilk test. Normally distributed values were presented as mean and standard deviation, and others as median and interquartile range. Results: The age of the donors was 61.72 (±10.08) years. The distance from the anterior aspect of the foramen of Monro to the anterior margin of the mamillary body was 16.83 (±1.04) mm, and to the posterior margin was 16.76 (±1.9) mm. The distance from the anterior mamillary body margin to the infundibulum was 6.39 (±1.9) mm, to the optic recess was 8.25 (±1.84) mm, and to the apex of the vertebral artery was 5.05 (±1.62) mm. The distance from the anterior commissure to the brain aqueduct was 22.46 (±2.29) mm, and to the infundibulum was 13.93 (±2.54) mm. The mamillary body diameter was 4.91 (±0.34) mm in the anteroposterior and 4.21 (±0.48) mm in the cranio-caudal plane. The intraventricular segment was protruding by 1.63 (±0.46) mm. The diameter of the hypothalamus on the anterior margin of mamillary bodies was 1.37 (±0.75) mm, of the Liliequist membrane was 0.19 (±0.07) mm and of the lamina terminalis was 0.35 (±0.32) mm. Conclusion: The presented microanatomical measurements and correlations are expected to contribute to the improvement of ETV safety