Effect of 450 MHz Microwave Modulated with 217 Hz on Human EEG in Rest

Summary This study focuses on discrimination of changes, produced by low-level microwave exposure in intensity and time variability of the human EEG at rest. The power spectral density (PSD) method and nonlinear scaling analysis of the length distribution of low variability periods (LDLVP) were selected for analysis of the EEG signal. During the study, 19 healthy volunteers were exposed to a microwave (450 MHz) of 217 Hz frequency on-off modulation. The field power density at the scalp was 0.16 mW/cm². The experimental protocol consisted of ten cycles of repetitive microwave exposure. Signals from frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital EEG channels on EEG theta, alpha and beta rhythms were analysed. Exposure to microwave causes average increase of EEG activity. LDLVP analysis discriminated significant effect in time variability for 2 subjects (11%). PSD method detected significant changes in intensity for 4 subjects (21%). The effect of low-level microwave exposure is stronger on EEG beta rhythm in temporal and parietal regions of the human brain.     

Short-term responses of soil chemistry, needle macronutrients and tree growth to clinker dust and fertiliser in a stand of Scots pine

Waste management of clinker dust by spreading it on forest soil was studied in a 25-year-old Scots pine stand on acidic sandy soil. Clinker dust (0.5 kg m?2), fertiliser (N, P, K, Mg, 0.05 kg m?2; N 190 kg ha?1) and untreated soil were applied on 120-m2 plots in four replicates. The fertiliser was included to confirm the nutrient limitation in the stand. Clinker dust increased the soil pH by 1.2 units relative to the pH of 4.6 in the untreated soil by the second year. Soil K and Mg concentrations were larger in the dust and fertiliser treatments. Nutrient diagnostics indicated that needles of untreated trees were deficient in N and K. Fertiliser treatment indicated that the growth of trees was limited by N, since the fertiliser tended to increase needle K, N, N/P, needle dry mass and diameters of stem and shoots. By an auxiliary dataset, no effects of the dust and fertiliser on possible excess of the micronutrient Mn were observed. Clinker dust increased needle K concentration, but due to the N limitation, there was no increase in the growth of stems, branches, shoots and needles. It was concluded that in plots of 120 m2 application of clinker dust at a rate of 0.5 kg m?2 was safe for the 21-year-old Scots pine stand in this trial on an acid nutrient-poor sandy soil during 4 years after the treatment.     

When Has an Abandoned Field Become a Semi-Natural Grassland or Heathland?

This study presents a meta-analysis of a collective dataset describing the succession from abandoned fields to semi-natural grassland and heathland vegetation over the past century. The study objectives were to develop a method for statistical discrimination between abandoned fields and semi-natural habitats and to analyze the probability that an abandoned field had developed into a semi-natural habitat. A statistical classification model was developed, based on lists of vascular plants from 2059 plots from Danish semi-natural grasslands and heathlands, and abandoned fields of varying age. This model was shown to discriminate effectively between abandoned fields and semi-natural habitats, and it was found to be potentially useful for the detection of abandoned fields approaching semi-natural vegetation. We suggest that the model may help clarify restoration targets and assess biological condition in formerly cultivated areas. Statistical modeling revealed that succession age, period of abandonment and succession trajectory had significant effects on the probability that abandoned fields reached the semi-natural phase. Our study indicates that restoration projects targeting grassland and heathland should take local species pools and soil fertility into account. Nomenclature: Species names follow Flora Europaea (Tutin and others 1964–1993).     

Individual changes in human EEG caused by 450 MHz microwave modulated at 40 and 70 Hz

This study was aimed to investigate the changes in the human electroencephalographic (EEG) signal caused by modulated low-level microwaves. The 450 MHz microwave exposure modulated at 40 Hz and 70 Hz frequencies was applied to a group of 15 volunteers. The field power density at the scalp was 0.16 mW/cm². Ten cycles of the exposure (1 min on and 1 min off) at both modulation frequencies were applied. Analysis of the EEG signal was performed using three different methods: nonlinear method of scaling analysis for length distribution of low variability periods (LDLVP), relative changes in EEG energy (S-parameter) and beta ratio (H-parameter). The analysis revealed significant changes caused by microwave for the whole group (H-parameter method). The exposure caused increase of the EEG beta power (S-parameter method). Statistically significant changes in EEG were detected for four subjects (26.7%) at 40 Hz modulation frequency (LDLVP method).     

Parental concern about children's traffic safety in residential neighborhoods

One hundred and five parents and nonparents responded to a questionnaire consisting of evaluative ratings (general evaluation, social status and safety concern) of six familiar residential neighborhoods; ratings of the traffic accident risk children in the age ranges 2–4, 5–6, 7–9 and 10–12 years run in these neighborhoods; and, finally, ratings of the strengths attributed to factors as causes of traffic accidents (environment, children, parents, drivers and chance). Across neighborhoods and age ranges of children, risk perceptions were found to be related to the rated strengths of the causes. Low-traffic volume neighborhoods were perceived as less risky and were attributed as less strong causes than high-traffic volume neighborhoods were. Perceived risk increased with age of child to a maximum, then decreased. The same relationship with age was found for the attributed causes environment and drivers. The strength of parents as cause was rated to decrease while the strength of child as cause was rated to increase with age. Chance was rated as the weakest cause and the rated strength did not vary across neighborhoods or age. Neither parentship nor gender, singly or in combination, had any clear effects. For parents and nonparents alike the general evaluation of the neighborhoods was influenced by safety concern but not by the particular aspect investigated, i.e. perceived traffic accident risk to children.     

Efficient numerical computation and experimental study of temporally long equilibrium scour development around abutment

For the abutment bed scour to reach its equilibrium state, a long flow time is needed. Hence, the employment of usual strategy of simulating such scouring event using the 3D numerical model is very time consuming and less practical. In order to develop an applicable model to consider temporally long abutment scouring process, this study modifies the common approach of 2D shallow water equations (SWEs) model to account for the sediment transport and turbulence, and provides a realistic approach to simulate the long scouring process to reach the full scour equilibrium. Due to the high demand of the 2D SWEs numerical scheme performance to simulate the abutment bed scouring, a recently proposed surface gradient upwind method (SGUM) was also used to improve the simulation of the numerical source terms. The abutment scour experiments of this study were conducted using the facility of Hydraulics Laboratory at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore to compare with the presented 2D SGUM–SWEs model. Fifteen experiments were conducted with their scouring flow durations vary from 46 to 546 h. The comparison shows that the 2D SGUM–SWEs model gives good representation to the experimental results with the practical advantage.     

The amniotic fluid as a source of mesenchymal stem cells with lung-specific characteristics

The amniotic fluid is a clinically accessible source of mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSC) during gestation, which enables autologous cellular therapy for perinatal disorders. The origin of AF-MSC remains elusive: renal and neuronal progenitors have been isolated from the AF-MSC pool, yet no cells with pulmonary characteristics. We analyzed gene expression of pulmonary and renal markers of 212 clonal lines of AF-MSC isolated from amniocentesis samples. AF-MSC were cultured on dishes coated with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins from decellularized fetal rabbit lungs. In vivo differentiation potential of AF-MSC that expressed markers suggestive of lung fate was tested by renal subcapsular injections in immunodeficient mice. Of all the isolated AF-MSC lines, 26% were positive for lung endodermal markers FOXA2 and NKX2.1 and lacked expression of renal markers (KSP). This AF-MSC subpopulation expressed other lung-specific factors, including IRX1, P63, FOXP2, LGR6, SFTC, and PDPN. Pulmonary marker expression decreased over passages when AF-MSC were cultured under conventional conditions, yet remained more stable when culturing the cells on lung ECM-coated dishes. Renal subcapsular injection of AF-MSC expressing lung-specific markers resulted in engrafted cells that were SPTB positive. These data suggest that FOXA2+/NKX2.1+/KSP- AF-MSC lines have lung characteristics which are supported by culture on lung ECM-coated dishes.     

The relationship between agricultural intensification and biological control: experimental tests across Europe

Agricultural intensification can affect biodiversity and related ecosystem services such as biological control, but large-scale experimental evidence is missing. We examined aphid pest populations in cereal fields under experimentally reduced densities of (1) ground-dwelling predators (-G), (2) vegetation-dwelling predators and parasitoids (-V), (3) a combination of (1) and (2) (-G-V), compared with open-fields (control), in contrasting landscapes with low vs. high levels of agricultural intensification (AI), and in five European regions. Aphid populations were 28%, 97%, and 199% higher in -G, -V, and -G-V treatments, respectively, compared to the open fields, indicating synergistic effects of both natural-enemy groups. Enhanced parasitoid: host and predator: prey ratios were related to reduced aphid population density and population growth. The relative importance of parasitoids and vegetation-dwelling predators greatly differed among European regions, and agricultural intensification affected biological control and aphid density only in some regions. This shows a changing role of species group identity in diverse enemy communities and a need to consider region-specific landscape management.