Germination of soybean seeds exposed to the static/alternating magnetic field and algal extract

In the present study, the effect of the static and alternating magnetic field applied individually and in combination with an algal extract on the germination of soybean seeds (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) and chlorophyll content was examined. The exposure time of seeds to the static magnetic field was 3, 6, and 12 min, whereas to the alternating magnetic field was 1, 2.5, and 5 min. The static magnetic field was obtained by means of a permanent magnets system while the alternating magnetic field by means of magnetic coils. Algal extract was produced from a freshwater macroalga—Cladophora glomerata using ultrasound homogenizer. In the germination tests, 10% extract was applied to the paper substrate before sowing. This is the first study that compares the germination of soybean seeds exposed to the static and alternating magnetic field. The best effect on the germination and chlorophyll content in seedlings had synergistic action of the static magnetic field on seeds for 3 min applied together with the extract and alternating magnetic field used for 2.5 min. It is not possible to clearly state which magnetic field better stimulated the germination of seeds, but the chlorophyll content in seedlings was much higher for alternating magnetic field.     

Modulating effect of a magnetic field on Saprolegnia parasitica,Coker, 1923 infecting trout (Salmo trutta,L.) eggs

The aim of study was to investigate the effects of static magnetic fields [1 mT (miliTesla), 5 and 10 mT] on Saprolegnia parasitica growth, development, and cytotoxicity in the infection of trout eggs in hatcheries under laboratory and industrial conditions. The egg envelope (SEM) structures resulting from infection with and development of S. parasitica are also presented. S. parasitica mycelium was cultured on a microbiological medium SDA in Petri dishes (4 ± 0.2°C, 97% humidity) exposed to a magnetic field and in a control, to assess the mycelium growth rate. Effects of the magnetic field on cytotoxicity of S. parasitica after a 21‐day incubation on SDA medium were analyzed using the colorimetric cytotoxicity test MTT. Eggs of brown trout Salmo trutta were infected with S. parasitica by inoculum and incubated in glass vessels (4 ± 0.2°C) in a magnetic field and a control. The degree of mycelium invasion of the egg envelopes and the percentage of egg mortality were recorded daily thoughout the period of embrionic development. The magnetic field effects on brown trout eggs infected by wild strains of fungus‐like organisms (FLO) in the hatchery (4°C ± 0.1) were also investigated. Changes in the structure of brown trout egg envelopes as a result of infection and development of S. parasitica were examined in a FIB/SEM. The effects of magnetic fields of 5 and 10 mT on slowing the growth of mycelium of S. parasitica in vitro were also observed. Determining biochemical properties of S. parasitica also showed the effects of the magnetic field in differentiating the cytotoxicity. All magnetic field values showed a distinct decrease from medium to low values of S. parasitica cytotoxicity; the most effective reduction was observed at 5 mT. Magnetic fields in all tested levels slowed development of the mycelium on the incubated trout eggs, resulting in a decrease in the number of eggs infected by S. parasitica and thus permitting a greater hatching success. Similar effects were observed in other hatching conditions where eggs were also exposed. No negative effects of magnetic field treatment on the condition of the newly‐hatched larvae were observed. The SEM and FIB (Focused Ion Beam) analyses revealed penetration of S. parasitica via radial canals of the envelope. The magnetic field had no effect on the structure of hyphae or sporangia of S. parasitica, but did affect the growth rate of mycelium on the egg surface.     

Impact of pre-sowing magnetic field exposure of seeds to stationary magnetic field on growth, reactive oxygen species and photosynthesis of maize under field conditions

Impact of pre-sowing exposure of seeds to static magnetic field were studied on 1 month old maize [Zea mays _. var: HQPM.1] plants under field conditions. Pre-standardized magnetic field strength of 100 mT (2 h) and 200 mT (1 h), which were proven best for improving different seedling parameters under laboratory condition, were used for this study. Magnetic field treatment altered growth, superoxide radical level, antioxidant enzymes and photosynthesis. Among the different growth parameters, leaf area and root length were the most enhanced parameters (78–40%, respectively), over untreated plants. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy study showed that superoxide radical was reduced and hydroxyl radical was unaffected after magnetic field treatment. With decrease in free radical content, antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase and peroxidase were also reduced by 43 and 23%, respectively, in plants that emerged from magnetically treated seeds. Measurement of Chlorophyll a fluorescence by plant efficiency analyzer showed that the potential of processing light energy through photosynthetic machinery was enhanced by magnetic field treatment. Performance index of the plant enhanced up to two-fold and phenomenological leaf model showed more active reaction centers after magnetic field treatment. Among the two field strengths used, 200 mT (1 h) was more effective in altering all these parameters. It is concluded that pre-sowing magnetic field treatment can be effectively used for improving plant growth and development under field conditions.     

Distortion of the local magnetic field appears to neither disrupt nocturnal navigation nor cue shelter recognition in the amblypygid Paraphrynus laevifrons

Many arthropods are known to be sensitive to the geomagnetic field and exploit the field to solve spatial problems. The polarity of the geomagnetic field is used, for instance, as an orientation cue by leafcutter ants as they travel on engineered trails in a rainforest and by Drosophila larvae as they move short distances in search of food. A ubiquitous orientation cue like the geomagnetic field may be especially useful in complex, cluttered environments like rainforests, where the reliability of celestial cues used to navigate in more open environments may be poor. The neotropical amblypygid Paraphrynus laevifrons is a nocturnal arachnid that wanders nightly in the vicinity of its shelter and occasionally travels 30 m or more in the rainforest understory before it returns to its shelter. Here, we conducted a field experiment to determine whether navigation by P. laevifrons is guided by the ambient magnetic field and a complimentary laboratory experiment to assess whether a magnetic anomaly could be used to pinpoint the entrance of a shelter. In the field experiment, subjects were fitted with a radio transmitter and a small, powerful magnet or a similar-sized brass disk and displaced 10 m from their shelter. The return rate of magnet-fitted subjects was similar to that of brass-fitted subjects and to that of subjects in an earlier study fitted with only a radio transmitter. In the laboratory experiment, we trained P. laevifrons with a protocol under which the amblypygid Phrynus marginemaculatus rapidly learns—in 1–14 trials over two daily sessions—to associate an olfactory stimulus with access to a shelter. The conditioned stimulus here was a magnetic anomaly characterized by a high total field intensity and a 180° reversal of the polarity of the ambient magnetic field. The magnetic anomaly-shelter contingency was not learned in 50 trials conducted over 10 daily sessions. These results imply prima facie that P. laevifrons does not rely on a magnetic compass to locate or recognize a shelter and, perhaps, that the magnetic field cannot be detected, but alternative explanations are discussed.     

Increased motor activity of the beetle Laemostenus punctatus caused by a static magnetic field of 110 mT

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a static magnetic field on six behavioral parameters (travel distance, average speed while in motion, travel distance of the head, body rotations, time in movement, and immobility time) of the ground beetle Laemostenus (Pristonychus) punctatus (Dejean) (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Adults of this troglophilic and guanophilic beetle were randomly divided into two groups, the first exposed to a static magnetic field of 110 mT for 5 h, and the second a control group. Beetle behavior after these 5 h was monitored in an open‐field test for 12 min and analyzed using ANY‐maze software. Exposure to a static magnetic field of 110 mT increased motor activity (travel distance and average speed while in motion) in the first 4 min. After that there were no significant differences. We conclude that the applied static magnetic field affects motor activity of adult specimens of L. (P.) punctatus, and we discuss the mechanism, possibly through acting on the control centers responsible for orientation and movement.     

Effects of Weak Environmental Magnetic Fields on the Spontaneous Bioelectrical Activity of Snail Neurons

We examined the effects of 50-Hz magnetic fields in the range of flux densities relevant to our current environmental exposures on action potential (AP), after-hyperpolarization potential (AHP) and neuronal excitability in neurons of land snails, Helix aspersa. It was shown that when the neurons were exposed to magnetic field at the various flux densities, marked changes in neuronal excitability, AP firing frequency and AHP amplitude were seen. These effects seemed to be related to the intensity, type (single and continuous or repeated and cumulative) and length of exposure (18 or 20 min). The extremely low-frequency (ELF) magnetic field exposures affect the excitability of F1 neuronal cells in a nonmonotonic manner, disrupting their normal characteristic and synchronized firing patterns by interfering with the cell membrane electrophysiological properties. Our results could explain one of the mechanisms and sites of action of ELF magnetic fields. A possible explanation of the inhibitory effects of magnetic fields could be a decrease in Ca²⁺ influx through inhibition of voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels. The detailed mechanism of effect, however, needs to be further studied under voltage-clamp conditions.     

A novel strategy of selective gene delivery by using a uniform magnetic field

The application of a magnetic field to enhance the transfection efficiency has been reported to be mainly dependent on the magnetic force generated by a magnetic field gradient to attract paramagnetic bead-conjugated carrier and polynucleotide complexes. This strategy has the advantage of targeting a point or an area on the culture vessel. However, it is difficult to target deeply placed tissues in vivo. Uniform magnetic field-correlated effect is applicable to such a purpose. Here, we attempted to establish a novel procedure for uniform magnetic field-dependent enhancement of transfection efficiency. We examined the effect of a 1.5 mT uniform magnetic field on cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and transfection efficiency mediated by a ROS-sensitive transfection carrier. Our experimental results revealed that a 1.5 mT uniform magnetic field transiently decreased cellular ROS levels and strongly enhanced transfection efficiency mediated by polyethylenimine (PEI). The uniform magnetic field-dependent enhancement of PEI-mediated in vivo transfection was confirmed in the livers of mice. Local intensification of a uniform magnetic field in a culture dish resulted in selective gene delivery into cells on the target area. Although further examination and improvement are necessary for this procedure, our findings provide a novel option for spatial control of gene delivery.     

Static Magnetic Fields Inhibit Proliferation and Disperse Subcellular Localization of Gamma Complex Protein3 in Cultured C2C12 Myoblast Cells

Magnetic fields may delay the rate of cell cycle progression, and there are reports that magnetic fields induce neurite outgrowth in cultured neuronal cells. To demonstrate whether magnetic field also effects on myoblast cells in cell growth, C2C12 cell lines were cultured and 2000G static magnetic field was applied. After 48 h of incubation, both the WST-1 assay (0.01 < P < 0.025, t-test) and direct cell counting (P < 0.0005, t-test) showed that static magnetic fields inhibit the proliferation of cultured C2C12 cells. Immunocytochemistry for alpha and tubulin gamma complex protein (TUBA and GCP3) was made and applying a static magnetic field-dispersed tubulin GCP3 formation, a intracellular apparatus for tubulin structuring in cell division. This protein expression was not altered by western blot. This study indicates that applying a static magnetic field alters the subcellular localizing of GCP3, and may delay the cell growth in cultured C2C12 myoblast cells.     

Dose distribution correction for the influence of magnetic field using a deep convolutional neural network for online MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy

PurposeThis study aimed to develop a deep convolutional neural network (CNN)-based dose distribution conversion approach for the correction of the influence of a magnetic field for online MR-guided adaptive radiotherapy.MethodsOur model is based on DenseNet and consists of two 2D input channels and one 2D output channel. These three types of data comprise dose distributions without a magnetic field (uncorrected), electron density (ED) maps, and dose distributions with a magnetic field. These data were generated as follows: both types of dose distributions were created using 15-field IMRT in the same conditions except for the presence or absence of a magnetic field with the GPU Monte Carlo dose in Monaco version 5.4; ED maps were acquired with planning CT images using a clinical CT-to-ED table at our institution. Data for 50 prostate cancer patients were used; 30 patients were allocated for training, 10 for validation, and 10 for testing using 4-fold cross-validation based on rectum gas volume. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by comparing 2D gamma-indexes against the dose distributions in each irradiation field with a magnetic field (true).ResultsThe gamma indexes in the body for CNN-corrected uncorrected dose against the true dose were 94.95% ± 4.69% and 63.19% ± 3.63%, respectively. The gamma indexes with 2%/2-mm criteria were improved by 10% in most test cases (99.36%).ConclusionsOur results suggest that the CNN-based approach can be used to correct the dose-distribution influences with a magnetic field in prostate cancer treatment.     

Influence of magnetic field on activity of given anaerobic sludge

Two modes of magnetic fields were applied in the Cr⁶⁺ removal sludge reactors containing two predominated strains—Bacillus sp. and Brevibacillus sp., respectively. The magnetic field mode I* of 0–4.5 or 0–14 mT between pieces was obtained by setting the magnetic pieces with the surface magnetic density of 0–6 or 0–20 mT into the reactor, and the magnetic field mode II* of 6, 20, or 40 mT on the return line was obtained by controlling the working distance of the permanent magnet outside the sludge return line. The effects of different magnetic fields on the activity of the given anaerobic sludge were studied by comparing with the control (absent of magnetic field). The results showed that the magnetic field of 0–4 mT improved the activity of given sludge most effectively, U_{max·\textCH4} U_{{\max \cdot {\text{CH}}_{4} }} (the peak methane-producing rate) and the methane producing volume per gCOD_Cr reached 64.3 mlCH₄/gVSS.d and 124 mlCH₄/gCOD_Cr, which increased by 20.6 and 70.7%, respectively, compared with the control. And the magnetic field of 20 mT took second place. It could be concluded that the input of some magnetic field could improve the activity of anaerobic sludge by increasing the transformation efficiency of COD_Cr matters to methane, and the total organic wastage did not increase.     

Quenching of an electric arc in a vacuum gap with a uniform transverse magnetic field

The breaking ability of a vacuum arc interrupter with a uniform transverse magnetic field formed by a system of permanent magnets was investigated experimentally. The vacuum interrupter with a 0.5-μF shunting capacitor switched off a dc current of up to 150 A at magnetic fields of 100–180 mT. At magnetic fields of 120–160 mT, the breaking ability of the vacuum interrupter was increased to 300 A by introducing a nonuniformity in the magnetic field distribution near the contact surface.     

Cell guidance by magnetic nanowires

The phenomenon of contact guidance on thin fibers has been known since the beginning of the 20th century when Harrison studied cells growing on fibers from spider's web. Since then many studies have been performed on structured surfaces and fibers. Here we present a new way to induce guidance of cells or cell processes using magnetic nanowires. We have manufactured magnetic Ni-nanowires (200 nm in diameter and 40 μm long) with a template-based electro-deposition method. Drops of a nanowire/ethanol suspension were placed on glass cover slips. The nanowires were aligned in an external magnetic field and adhered to the cover slips after evaporation of the ethanol. When the wires had adhered, the magnetic field was removed. L929 fibroblasts and dissociated dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons from mice were cultured on the nanowire-coated cover slips for 24 h and 72 h respectively. The fibroblasts were affected by the aligned nanowires and displayed contact guidance. Regenerated axons also displayed contact guidance on the wires. There were no overt signs of toxicity caused by Ni-wires. Aligned magnetic nanowires can be useful for lab-on-a-chip devices and medical nerve grafts.     

Impact of transverse magnetic fields on dose response of a nanoDot OSLD in megavoltage photon beams

PurposeWe investigated the impact of transverse magnetic fields on the dose response of a nanoDot optically stimulated luminescence dosimetry (OSLD) in megavoltage photon beams.MethodsThe nanoDot OSLD response was calculated via Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The responses R_Q and R_Q,B without and with the transverse magnetic fields of 0.35–3 T were analyzed as a function of depth at a 10 cm × 10 cm field for 4–18 MV photons in a solid water phantom. All responses were determined based on comparisons with the response under the reference conditions (depth of 10 cm and a 10 cm × 10 cm field) for 6 MV without the magnetic field. In addition, the influence of air-gaps on the nanoDot response in the magnetic field was estimated according to Burlin’s general cavity theory.ResultsThe R_Q as a function of depth for 4–18 MV ranged from 1.013 to 0.993, excepting the buildup region. The R_Q,B increased from 2.8% to 1.5% at 1.5 T and decreased from 3.0% to 1.1% at 3 T in comparison with R_Q as the photon energy increased. The depth dependence of R_Q,B was less than 1%, excepting the buildup region. The top air-gap and the bottom air- gap were responsible for the response reduction and the response increase, respectively.ConclusionsThe response R_Q,B varied depending on the magnetic field intensity, and the variation of R_Q,B reduced as the photon beam energy increased. The air-gaps affected the dose deposition in the magnetic fields.     

3 T homogeneous static magnetic field of a clinical MR significantly inhibits pain in mice

AimsIn recent years nuclear magnetic resonance (MR) systems have proliferated worldwide. This imaging/spectroscopy technique utilizes a strong homogeneous static magnetic field, much smaller time-varying gradient magnetic fields, and radiofrequency radiation. Many studies addressed the question of potential adverse side effects induced by MR, but less attention has been paid to its potential beneficial, therapeutical effects. The present study shows that whole body exposure of mice to the 3 T homogeneous static magnetic field of a clinical MR resulted in a statistically significant antinociceptive activity.Main methodsAntinociceptive activity was studied in the writhing test, where pain was elicited by the intraperitoneal injection of 0.6% acetic acid in the mouse. No imaging sequence of the MR was used during the experiments. Mice could freely move in their cage without any restraint.Key findingsAn antinociceptive activity of 68 ± 2% (p < 0.001, n = 18) was found. Subcutaneous injection of naloxone (0.2 mg/kg) in the mice reversed the magnetic field-induced antinociceptive activity. The effect of noise, vibration and lighting stimuli could be neglected. Although motion-induced effects generated in the body of the mice could not be completely excluded, their influence on pain perception was estimated to be below threshold.SignificanceMR's static magnetic field should be regarded as a potential therapeutical tool.     

Lorentz force electrical impedance tomography

This article describes a method called Lorentz Force Electrical Impedance Tomography. The electrical conductivity of biological tissues can be measured through their sonication in a magnetic field: the vibration of the tissues inside the field induces an electrical current by Lorentz force. This current, detected by electrodes placed around the sample, is proportional to the ultrasonic pressure, to the strength of the magnetic field and to the electrical conductivity gradient along the acoustic axis. By focusing at different places inside the sample, a map of the electrical conductivity gradient can be established. In this study, experiments were conducted on a gelatin phantom and on a beef sample, successively placed in a 300 mT magnetic field and sonicated with an ultrasonic transducer focused at 21 cm emitting 500 kHz bursts. Although all interfaces are not visible, in this exploratory study a good correlation is observed between the electrical conductivity image and the ultrasonic image. This method offers an alternative to detecting pathologies invisible to standard ultrasonography.     

Preliminary background indoor EMF measurements in Greece

The main purpose of this work was to investigate the fluctuation of Greek indoor electromagnetic field (EMF) intensity values and identify peaks that might occur. The scientific interest is mainly focused on the bands of extremely low-frequency (ELF) magnetic fields and radiofrequency (RF) electric fields which have been suggested to be possibly carcinogenic to humans by the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR).Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) measurements were performed in a variety of indoor dwellings, in Attica and in the islands of Zakynthos and Lesvos.A total number of 4540 measurements were taken in a wide frequency range (50 Hz–2100 MHz) of which 3301 in Attica, 963 in Lesvos and 276 in Zakynthos.Statistical analysis of the data revealed specific statistically significant differences between the mean values of the electric (ELF and RF) but not the magnetic (ELF) field strengths measured at different distances from the EMF source, as well as between some of the mean values of the RF electric field at different bands. Some statistically significant differences between mean electric field values at different geographic locations were also identified.As far as the RF electric field is concerned, the maximum values, in most cases, were below 0.5 V/m, however increased values above 1 V/m and up to 5.6 V/m were occasionally observed. The ELF magnetic field values were lower than 1 μT. It may be concluded that overall, the observed indoor EMF intensity values remained well below domestic and European established limits.     

Enhancement of the hydrolysis activity of F0F1‐ATPases using 60 Hz magnetic fields

The effects of extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields on membrane F₀F₁‐ATPase activity have been studied. When the F₀F₁‐ATPase was exposed to 60 Hz magnetic fields of different magnetic intensities, 0.3 and 0.5 mT magnetic fields enhanced the hydrolysis activity, whereas 0.1 mT exposure caused no significant changes. Even if the F₀F₁‐ATPase was inhibited by N,N‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide, its hydrolysis activity was enhanced by a 0.5 mT 60 Hz magnetic field. Moreover, when the chromatophores which were labeled with F‐DHPE were exposed to a 0.5 mT, 60 Hz magnetic field, it was found that the pH of the outer membrane of the chromatophore was unchanged, which suggested that the magnetic fields used in this work did not affect the activity of F0. Taken together, our results show that the effects of magnetic fields on the hydrolysis activity of the membrane F₀F₁‐ATPases were dependent on magnetic intensity and the threshold intensity is between 0.1 and 0.3 mT, and suggested that the F1 part of F₀F₁‐ATPase may be an end‐point affected by magnetic fields. Bioelectromagnetics 30:663–668, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Magneto-optical studies on the molecular cluster Fe4 in different polymeric environments

The magnetization of a molecular cluster of the Fe4 family embedded in two different polymeric matrices was investigated at low temperatures employing a magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) setup. The light wavelength used for the experiments was found to have a strong influence on the magnetic field dependence of the MCD intensities. The MCD response of this cluster embedded in a silicone elastomer and in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) exhibited at 476.5 nm a field dependence similar to the one found in the corresponding magnetization data while at other wavelengths (904 and 632.8 nm) the MCD could not be related to the cluster magnetization. Furthermore, the different polymers used as matrix induced slightly different magnetic and MCD behaviors with the samples of Fe4 in poly(methyl methacrylate) saturating at lower magnetic field values than the ones in the silicone elastomer. This result is believed to arise from the selection rules of the electronic transitions in the MCD measurement process. Furthermore, anisotropies in the spatial distribution of magnetic easy-axes, as well as inhomogeneities in cluster concentration induced by the PMMA casting process not present in the silicone elastomer could also contribute to the different magnetic behaviors observed.     

A semi-analytical model for calculating the penetration depth of a high energy electron beam in a water phantom with a magnetic field

PurposeAs an electron beam is incident on a uniform water phantom in the presence of a lateral magnetic field, the depth-dose distribution of the electron beam changes significantly and forms the well-known ‘Bragg peak’, with a depth-dose distribution similar to that of heavy ions. This phenomenon has pioneered a new field in the clinical application of electron beams. For such clinical applications, evaluating the penetration depth of electron beams quickly and accurately is the critical problem.MethodsThis paper describes a model for calculating the penetration depth of an electron beam rapidly and correctly in a water phantom under the influence of a magnetic field. The model was used to calculate the penetration depths under different conditions: the energies of electron beams of 6, 8, 12 and 15 MeV and the magnetic induction intensities of 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0 T. In addition, the calculation results were compared with the results of a Monte Carlo simulation.ResultsThe comparison results indicate that the difference between the two calculation methods was less than 0.5 cm. Moreover, the computing time of the calculation model was less than a second.ConclusionsThe semi-analytical model proposed in the present study enables the penetration depth of the electron beam in the presence of a magnetic field to be obtained with a computational efficiency higher than that of the Monte Carlo approach; thus, the proposed model has high potential for application.