Human Exposure to Heavy Metals over the Last 100 Years.

The primary objective of the presented research was to assess the impact of intense global economic development, over the last 100 years, on the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the human body. This evaluation was conducted based on the measurement of heavy metals in human hair samples collected 100 years ago in present-day southern Poland.In this study, concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), and selenium (Se) were measured in 61 hair samples,28 of which were obtained from individuals who lived 100 years ago, while the remaining 33 constituted the contemporary control group. The concentrations were determined using a triple quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (Agilent 8900). Statistical analysis of the obtained results was conducted using the Principal Cmponent Analysis and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. In the case of As, Pb, Cd, and Fe, the concentrations were significantly higher in individuals who lived 100 years ago compared to those living today. Over this period, the median concentrations were shown to have decreased by 95%, 94%, 85%, and 69% for As, Pb, Cd, and Fe, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed for Cu, Zn, and Se. The results obtained for Pb, Cd, As, and Fe unequivocally indicate that the population studied from 100 years ago was more exposed to internal contamination with these metals than people who live nowadays.

Interlimb and trunk asymmetry in the frontal plane of table tennis female players.

Background: An interesting and little-reported problem in the literature is the scale of asymmetry in table tennis players, the magnitude of which should perhaps be treated as a risk for injury. Determining the degree of asymmetry in table tennis players can indicate the need to appropriately manage the training process, including compensatory or corrective exercises in the training program, especially since recent studies confirm that training interventions can reduce sporting asymmetries and improve performance. This study aimed to assess the amount of asymmetry in the trunk regarding the frontal plane and the difference between limb circumferences in female table tennis players compared to the control group (non-athletes). Methods: Twenty-two women took part in the study. Ten of them were table tennis professionals with an average training experience of 7 ± 4.3 years (the exclusion criterion of the study was a minimum of 3 years of training experience). As a comparison group, the study included 12 female students who did not participate in competitive sports. Body posture was assessed in all subjects using equipment for computer analysis of asymmetry in the torso using the photogrammetric method. Additionally, all the subjects had their upper and lower limb circumferences measured. Results: The results of the conducted research showed asymmetry in the frontal plane in the table tennis player group. As many as six parameters-regarding the pelvic rotation angle, angle of trunk inclination, the height of the angles of the lower shoulder blades and their distance from the spine, as well as the waist triangles, difference in the width and height of the waist triangles and the angle of trunk inclination-indicated asymmetry in this group but significantly differed from the control group (p ≤ 0.05) only in the first parameter given above. The calculated differences in circumference between the right and left sides in the individual groups were statistically different in several cases (p ≤ 0.05). This concerned the circumferences of the arms, forearms, elbows, and knees of table tennis players. Conclusions: The research carried out in this study allowed us to determine the occurrence of asymmetry in the frontal plane of the trunk and between the limbs of table tennis players. According to some studies, this may be a risk factor for injury. However, despite the lack of uniform views in the literature on the importance and threats resulting from asymmetries, it appears that, if only for aesthetic reasons, table tennis would require compensatory or corrective training aimed at developing symmetry of the body structure.

Effects of nordic walking training on gait and exercise tolerance in male ischemic heart disease patients.

This technique-focused observational study explores the impact of a 6-week Nordic Walking (NW) program on physiological and biomechanical aspects in ischemic heart disease (IHD) patients. Twelve male IHD patients (66.2 ± 5.2 years, 12.2 ± 7.5 years of disease duration) were evaluated pre- and post-training for (i) gait parameters, (ii) exercise tolerance using electrocardiographic (ECG) stress test, (iii) a 6-min walk test (6MWT). The NW training, adhering to IHD patient guidelines, involved a 100-m walk at a self-selected, preferred speed without sticks, with classic NW sticks and mechatronic sticks. A mechatronic measuring system, specifically engineered for measuring, diagnosing and monitoring the patient's gait, was integrated into mechatronic sticks. Post-training, significant enhancements were observed in ECG stress test duration, metabolic equivalency, and 6MWT distance, irrespective of the stick type. However, no significant changes were noted in spatiotemporal parameters concerning the measured side, stick utilisation, or type. The results suggest that NW training boosts exercise capacity and refines gait mechanics in male IHD patients. However, the improvement in exercise capacity was not linked to changes in gait mechanics from NW training but rather to the movement during NW gait. Hence, the key to enhancing exercise capacity in IHD patients is the movement during NW gait, not the quality of gait mechanics.

Neuronal Fractal Dynamics.

Synapse formation is a unique biological phenomenon. The molecular biological perspective of this phenomenon is different from the fractal geometrical one. However, these perspectives are not mutually exclusive and supplement each other. The cornerstone of the first one is a chain of biochemical reactions with the Markov property, that is, a deterministic, conditional, memoryless process ordered in time and in space, in which the consecutive stages are determined by the expression of some regulatory proteins. The coordination of molecular and cellular events leading to synapse formation occurs in fractal time space, that is, the space that is not only the arena of events but also actively influences those events. This time space emerges owing to coupling of time and space through nonlinear dynamics. The process of synapse formation possesses fractal dynamics with non-Gaussian distribution of probability and a reduced number of molecular Markov chains ready for transfer of biologically relevant information.