The Effects of Mobile Phone Radiofrequency Radiation on Cochlear Stria Marginal Cells in Sprague–Dawley Rats

To investigate the possible mechanisms for biological effects of 1,800 MHz mobile radiofrequency radiation (RFR), the radiation-specific absorption rate was applied at 2 and 4 W/kg, and the exposure mode was 5 min on and 10 min off (conversation mode). Exposure time was 24 h short-term exposure. Following exposure, to detect cell DNA damage, cell apoptosis, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, the Comet assay test, flow cytometry, DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride) staining, and a fluorescent probe were used, respectively. Our experiments revealed that mobile phone RFR did not cause DNA damage in marginal cells, and the rate of cell apoptosis did not increase (P > 0.05). However, the production of ROS in the 4 W/kg exposure group was greater than that in the control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these results suggest that mobile phone energy was insufficient to cause cell DNA damage and cell apoptosis following short-term exposure, but the cumulative effect of mobile phone radiation still requires further confirmation. Activation of the ROS system plays a significant role in the biological effects of RFR. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2020 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Timing and magnitude of lumbar spine contribution to trunk forward bending and backward return in patients with acute low back pain

Alterations in the lumbo-pelvic coordination denote changes in neuromuscular control of trunk motion as well as load sharing between passive and active tissues in the lower back. Differences in timing and magnitude aspects of lumbo-pelvic coordination between patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) and asymptomatic individuals have been reported; yet, the literature on lumbo-pelvic coordination in patients with acute LBP is scant. A case-control study was conducted to explore the differences in timing and magnitude aspects of lumbo-pelvic coordination between females with (n=19) and without (n=19) acute LBP. Participants in each group completed one experimental session wherein they performed trunk forward bending and backward return at preferred and fast paces. The amount of lumbar contribution to trunk motion (as the magnitude aspect) as well as the mean absolute relative phase (MARP) and deviation phase (DP) between thoracic and pelvic rotations (as the timing aspect) of lumbo-pelvic coordination were calculated. The lumbar contribution to trunk motion in the 2nd and the 3rd quarters of both forward bending and backward return phases was significantly smaller in the patient than the control group. The MARP and the DP were smaller in the patient vs. the control group during entire motion. The reduced lumbar contribution to trunk motion as well as the more in-phase and less variable lumbo-pelvic coordination in patients with acute LBP compared to the asymptomatic controls is likely the result of a neuromuscular adaptation to reduce painful deformation and to protect injured lower back tissues.     

Equilibria and dynamics of selection at a diallelic autosomal locus in the Nagylaki-Crow continuous model of a monoecious population

Let birth rates and death rates be constant, birth rates positive, fertilities additive, and each birth rate not larger than twice any other birth rate. Global convergence to equilibria is proved for the model in the title. There is at most one polymorphic equilibrium or there are a continuum of equilibria. The phase portraits are given. If there is a polymorphic equilibrium, then the largest negatively invariant set in the state space is a continuous curve connecting the two fixation equilibria. This curve coincides with the Hardy-Weinberg manifold exactly when the death rate is additive. Disregarding extinction, the polymorphic equilibria are the same for the continuous model as for the corresponding discrete model exactly when the death rate is additive.     

针刺麻醉复合小剂量瑞芬太尼用于甲状腺良性结节消融术的临床疗效观察

目的:探讨小剂量瑞芬太尼复合针刺麻醉在甲状腺良性结节消融术中的麻醉镇痛效果。方法:选取2015年6月至2016年6月在我院进行甲状腺良性结节射频消融术的患者71例,并将其随机分为对照组(n=35)和复合麻醉组(n=36)。对照组患者接受单纯芬太尼麻醉,复合麻醉组患者接受小剂量瑞芬太尼复合针刺麻醉,观察和比较两组患者麻醉前(T0)、麻醉后(T1)、消融术中(T2)、手术结束(T3)时患者的平均动脉压(MAP)、心率(HR)、血氧饱和度(HPO_2)和VAS评分。结果:复合麻醉组患者T2和T3时间点MAP(95.00±6.09,90.86±3.23)(P0.05)、HR值(65.19±3.52,75.03±6.00)均显著低于对照组(P0.05),HPO_2水平(98.78±1.15,97.81±1.47)均显著高于对照组(P0.05),VAS评分(3.25±1.38,1.69±1.43)均显著低于对照组(P0.05)。结论:电针刺激结合小剂量瑞芬太尼复合麻醉用于甲状腺良性结节消融术可有效镇痛并维持较稳定的血压和心率,效果明显优于单纯芬太尼麻醉。     

Enhanced phenylpyruvic acid production with Proteus vulgaris in fed-batch and continuous fermentation

Phenylpyruvic acid is a deaminated form of phenylalanine and is used in various areas such as development of cheese and wine flavors, diagnosis of phenylketonuria, and to decrease excessive nitrogen accumulation in the manure of farm animals. However, reported phenylpyruvic acid fermentation studies in the literature have been usually performed at shake-flask scale with low production. In this study, phenylpyruvic acid production was evaluated in bench-top bioreactors by conducting fed-batch and continuous fermentation for the first time. As a result, maximum phenylpyruvic acid concentrations increased from 1350 mg/L (batch fermentation) to 2958 mg/L utilizing fed-batch fermentation. Furthermore, phenylpyruvic acid productivity was increased from 48 mg/L/hr (batch fermentation) to 104 and 259 mg/L/hr by conducting fed-batch and continuous fermentation, respectively. Overall, this study demonstrated that fed-batch and continuous fermentation significantly improved phenylpyruvic acid production in bench-scale bioreactor production.     

Outdoor continuous culture of Porphyridium cruentum in a tubular photobioreactor: quantitative analysis of the daily cyclic variation of culture parameters

The present work reports on the daily cyclic variation of oxygen generation rates, carbon consumption rates, photosynthetic activities, growth rates and biochemical composition of the biomass in a pilot plant continuous outdoor culture of the microalgae Porphyridium cruentum. A linear relationship between the external irradiance and the average irradiance inside the culture was found. In addition, the oxygen generation and carbon consumption rates were found to be a function of the average irradiance inside the culture. A reduction in photosynthetic activity of the cells at noon and recovery in the afternoon was also observed. Therefore, the cells showed a short-term response of parameters such as oxygen generation rate as well as carbon consumption rate with external and average irradiance; a model of photosynthesis rate considering photoinhibition is proposed. This model is a useful tool for the operation and scaleup of tubular photobioreactors, and can be used for determining CO₂ requirements of the system. The higher the photosynthesis rates, the lower the carbon losses, ranging from 25% at noon to 100% during the night. The growth rate showed a linear relationship with the daily mean average irradiance inside the culture with a long-term response. Likewise, a linear relationship among the oxygen generation rate and the growth rate was obtained. With respect to the biochemical composition of the biomass, the cells showed a long-term response of metabolic routes to mean daily culture conditions. During the illuminated period, energy was stored as carbohydrates and synthesis of proteins was low. During the night, the stored carbohydrates were consumed. The fatty acid dry weight (DW) content decreased during the daylight period, whereas the fatty acid profile, as total fatty acids, was a function of growth rate. A short-term variation of exopolysaccharides synthesis with solar irradiance was also observed, i.e. the higher the external irradiance the higher the excretion of exopolysaccharides as a protection against adverse culture conditions.     

The effect of exposure to radiofrequency LTE signal and coexposure to mitomycin-C in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast V79 cells

This study aims to investigate the cellular effects of radiofrequency exposure, 1950 MHz, long-term evolution (LTE) signal, administered alone and in combination with mitomycin-C (MMC), a well-known cytotoxic agent. Chinese hamster lung fibroblast (V79) cells were exposed/sham exposed in a waveguide-based system under strictly controlled conditions of both electromagnetic and environmental parameters, at specific absorption rate (SAR) of 0.3 and 1.25 W/kg. Chromosomal damage (micronuclei formation), oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species [ROS] formation), and cell cycle progression were analyzed after exposure and coexposure. No differences between exposed samples and sham-controls were detected following radiofrequency exposure alone, for all the experimental conditions tested and biological endpoints investigated. When radiofrequency exposure was followed by MMC treatment, 3 h pre-exposure did not modify MMC-induced micronuclei. Pre-exposure of 20 h at 0.3 W/kg did not modify the number of micronuclei induced by MMC, while 1.25 W/kg resulted in a significant reduction of MMC-induced damage. Absence of effects was also detected when CW was used, at both SAR levels. MMC-induced ROS formation resulted significantly decreased at both SAR levels investigated, while cell proliferation and cell cycle progression were not affected by coexposures. The results here reported provide no evidence of direct effects of 1950 MHz, LTE signal. Moreover, they further support our previous findings on the capability of radiofrequency pre-exposure to induce protection from a subsequent toxic treatment, and the key role of the modulated signals and the experimental conditions adopted in eliciting the effect.     

Purification, properties and physiological regulation of a putative outer-membrane porin for methanol in Methylophilus methylotrophus

A major outer-membrane protein was purified and partially characterised from the methylotrophic bacterium Methylophilus methylotrophus. The protein had a subunit M_r of 38 000 and was similar in terms of its biochemical properties to the recently characterised amide-urea porin (FmdC) from the same organism. Expression of the protein, as determined by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting of cells grown in continuous culture under various nutrient limitations, varied in a similar manner to that of methanol dehydrogenase and was maximal under methanol limitation. It was concluded that the protein is probably an outer-membrane porin for methanol.