Abstract: In this report we propose a new method for an in vitro test of the foetal lung maturity based on the measurement of the electrical conductivity of the overall amniotic fluid obtained from transabdominal amniocentesis, since this quantity can be linked to a first approximation in a very simple way to the phospholipid content. We have carried out measurements of 85 different samples of amniotic fluid as a function of gestation weeks and we have observed a pronounced change of the electrical conductivity that reflects the increase in the phospholipid concentration occurring at the end of normal pregnancies. The method could be further developed to obtain similar information on in vivo experiments by means of bioelectric impedance tomography, taking advantage of the frequency dependence of the tissue electrical impedance.

Abstract: OBJECTIVES: This study sought to characterize personal exposures of Canadian children to 60-Hz magnetic and electric fields and explain the variability. METHODS: Altogether 382 Canadian children up to 15 years of age wore meters recording 60-Hz electric and magnetic fields over 2 days. Meter location was noted. Thereafter, meters measured fields in the center of the children's bedrooms for 24 hours. Personal exposures were calculated for home, school or day care, outside the home, bedroom at night, and all categories combined (total). RESULTS: The arithmetic mean (AM) was 0.121 microT [geometric mean (GM): 0.085 microT), range 0.01-0.8 microT] for total magnetic fields. Fifteen percent of the total exposures exceeded 0.2 microT. The AM of the total electric fields was 14.4 (GM 12.3, range 0.82-64.7) V/m. By location category, the highest and lowest magnetic fields occurred at home during the day (0.142 microT) and during the night (0.112 microT), respectively. Measurements during sleep provided the highest correlation with total magnetic field exposure. Province of measurement explained 14.7% of the variation in the logarithms of total magnetic fields, and season accounted for an additional 1.5%. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified differences in children's magnetic field exposures between provinces. Measurements at night provided the best surrogate for predicting total magnetic field exposure, followed by at-home exposure and 24-hour bedroom measurements. Electrical heating and air conditioning, wiring type, and type of housing appear to be promising indicators of magnetic field levels.

Abstract: Sprague Dawley (SD), Fischer 344 (F344), and Lewis (LEW) rats are used in a wide variety of laboratory studies. Compared to SD and LEW rats, F344 rats show significantly greater corticosterone secretion in response to stress, or to immune challenge. These strain differences in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responsivity have been the basis for many comparative studies investigating immunological and behavioural differences between the three strains. However, the effects of these strain differences in HPA axis responsivity have not been investigated at the level of adrenal steroid receptor activation in target tissues. The present study demonstrates that compared to SD and LEW rats, F344 rats exhibited a greater magnitude of Type II adrenal steroid receptor activation in brain tissues during stress. In contrast, Type II receptor activation in immune tissues of F344 rats following stress was similar to that of SD rats. Importantly, LEW rats exhibited the lowest magnitude of activation of Type II receptors in immune tissues during stress. No differences were observed between strains in the extent of stress-induced Type I adrenal steroid receptor activation. The observed differences between strains in corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) levels in plasma, pituitary, and immune tissue may mediate the differential access of corticosterone to neural versus immune tissues. These results indicate that strain differences in corticosterone secretion are manifested by differences in Type II receptor activation in neural as well as immune tissues. Moreover, they suggest that increased access of corticosterone to adrenal steroid receptors in brain areas of F344 rats may contribute to behavioural differences between strains, whereas decreased access of hormone to receptors in immune tissues of LEW rats may contribute to strain differences in susceptibility to autoimmune disease.