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Minimally invasive medical treatments for peripheral nerve stimulation are critically needed to minimize surgical risks, enhance the precision of therapeutic interventions, and reduce patient recovery time. Magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs), known for their unique ability to respond to both magnetic and electric fields, offer promising potential for precision medicine due to their dual tunable functionality. In this study a multi-physics modeling of the MENPs was performed, assessing their capability to be targeted through external magnetic fields and become electrically activated. In particular, by integrating electromagnetic, fluid dynamics, and biological models, the efficacy of MENPs as wireless nano-tools to trigger electrical stimulation in the peripheral Nervous system present within the dermal microenvironment was assessed. The simulations replicate the blood venous capillary network, accounting for the complex interactions between MENPs, blood flow, and vessel walls. Results demonstrate the precise steering of MENPs (>95%) toward target sites under a low-intensity external magnetic field (78 mT) even with a low susceptibility value (0.45). Furthermore, the extravasation and electrical activation of MENPs within the dermal tissue are analyzed, revealing the generation of high-induced electric fields in the surrounding area when MENPs are subjected to external magnetic fields. Overall, these findings predict that MENPs can be targeted in a tissue site when intravenously administrated, dragged through the microvessels of the venous system, and activated by generating high electric fields for the stimulation of the peripheral nervous system., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2025 Lenzuni, Giannoni, Chiaramello, Fiocchi, Suarato, Ravazzani and Marrella.)

Inflammatory cytokines cooperate to maintain normal immune homeostasis, performing both a protective and a pro-inflammatory action in different body districts. However, their excessive persistence or deregulated expression may degenerate into tissue chronic inflammatory status. Advanced therapies should be designed to deploy selective cytokine neutralizers in the affected tissues. Magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs) possess unexploited potentialities, conjugating their ferromagnetic nature, which enables confinement in a specific tissue by directed positioning when subjected to low-intensity magnetic fields, with the capability to generate high electric fields with elevated spatial resolution when subjected to higher magnetic fields. This work proposes to exploit the extremely localized heat generated by Joule's effect around MENPs under an external magnetic field to denature a harmful cytokine in a hypothetical tissue site. An interdisciplinary and multiphysics in silico study was conducted to provide comprehensive modeling of the temperature distribution generated by MENPs decorated with a membrane-derived microvesicle (MV) coating designed to allocate a specific antibody to bind a target cytokine. A damage model was also implemented to provide an estimation of the influence of several design parameters on the cytokine denaturation efficacy, with the final goal of guiding the future development of effective MENPs-based therapeutic applications and strategies.

The ductus arteriosus represents an essential vascular structure connecting the pulmonary artery and the aorta. Over the past decades, there has been substantial advancement in our understanding of both the fundamental and clinical aspects of the ductus arteriosus. In particular, the clarification of the regulatory mechanisms governing ductal patency in critical stages such as the fetal and the perinatal period has enabled optimal management of both physiological and pathological conditions in which the ductus arteriosus plays a crucial role. Furthermore, a more in-depth understanding of the regulatory mechanisms controlling this fundamental structure has facilitated the development of advanced therapeutic strategies and personalized interventions. In the present review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the ductus arteriosus during fetal and perinatal life, encompassing its physiological functions, pathological conditions, and clinical implications. Through this examination, we aim to contribute to a broader understanding of the ductus arteriosus' role in these critical developmental stages and its significance in clinical practice.

Core-shell magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs) have recently gained popularity thanks to their capability in inducing a local electric polarization upon an applied magnetic field and vice versa . This work estimates the magnetoelectrical behavior, in terms of magnetoelectric coupling coefficient (αME), via finite element analysis of MENPs with different shapes under either static (DC bias) and time-variant (AC bias) external magnetic fields. With this approach, the dependence of the magnetoelectrical performance on the MENPs geometrical features can be directly derived. Results show that MENPs with a more elongated morphology exhibits a superior αME if compared with spherical nanoparticles of similar volume, under both stimulation conditions analyzed. This response is due to the presence of a larger surface area at the interface between the magnetostrictive core and piezoelectric shell, and to the MENP geometrical orientation along the direction of the magnetic field. These findings pave a new way for the design of novel high-aspect ratio magnetic nanostructures with an improved magnetoelectric behaviour., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Marrella, Suarato, Fiocchi, Chiaramello, Bonato, Parazzini and Ravazzani.)

This study investigates the radio-frequency electromagnetic field exposure (RF-EMF) levels in pedestrians generated by vehicular communication technology. We specifically investigated exposure levels in children of different ages and both genders. This study also compares the children's exposure levels generated by such technology with those of an adult investigated in our previous study. The exposure scenario consisted of a 3D-CAD model of a vehicle equipped with two vehicular antennas operating at 5.9 GHz, each fed with 1 W power. Four child models were analyzed near the front and back of the car. The RF-EMF exposure levels were expressed as the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) calculated over the whole body and 10 g mass (SAR 10g ) of the skin and 1 g mass (SAR 1g ) of the eyes. The maximum SAR 10g value of 9 mW/kg was found in the skin of the head of the tallest child. The maximum whole-body SAR was 0.18 mW/kg and was found in the tallest child. As a general result, it was found that children's exposure levels are lower than those of adults. All the SAR values are well below the limits recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) in the general population.

The Authors Chang Liu B.S and Yuan Shi commented our paper on Fluid restriction in management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in Italy. With our study, we conducted a prospective cross-sectional survey among all Italian Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) to address conservative management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants below 29 weeks' gestational age (GA), with specific regard to fluid restriction (FR). The Authors wondered if the heterogeneity of use of fluid restriction both as a prophylactic tool and as a conservative tool when a hemodynamically significant PDA is diagnosed, was due to economic disparities among areas of the included centers. Conducting a secondary analysis of our data, we observed that if we separately consider the responses of two areas, northern and central-southern Italy, FR is slightly more frequently applied in Central and Southern regions (82%) as compared to Northern regions (78%), although this finding does not reach statistical significance. No correlation between the likelihood to adopt conservative measures and the amount of allowed fluid intake was found. The hypothesis that "less fluid intake resulted in milder clinical and echocardiographic presentations of PDA, and thus a lower rate of pharmacological treatment" cannot be supported by our current study design and might deserve future investigations., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

We aimed at establishing the state of the art in fluid restriction practice in our national setting and providing a foundation for future research efforts. A prospective cross-sectional survey was conducted among all 114 Italian Neonatal Units in order to address conservative management of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants below 29 weeks' gestational age (GA), with specific regard to fluid restriction. Response rate was 80%. Conservative measures for PDA management are provided in the majority of NICUs and 80% of centers reduce fluid intake in neonates with PDA. No relationship can be found among pharmacologically or surgically treated patients per year and the approach to fluid restriction. The minimum intake administered at regimen when fluid restriction is applied is associated to the ratio between the maximum number of neonates managed pharmacologically and number of admitted < 29 weeks' GA newborns., Conclusion: Our survey shows an extreme variability among centers in terms of use of fluid restriction as a prophylactic tool but also in terms of its use (both opportunity and modality) when a hemodynamically significant PDA is diagnosed. This variability, that can be also found in randomized trials and observational studies, suggests that further evidence is needed to better understand its potential beneficial effects and its potential harms such as dehydration, hypotension, decreased end-organ perfusion, and reduced caloric intake., What Is Known: • The lack of demonstrable improvement following the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus has recently paved the way to a more conservative approach. • Fluid restriction is the most commonly applied conservative treatment of PDA., What Is New: • Among Italian NICUs an extreme variability in terms of indications, timing and modalities of application of Fluid restriction can be found. • This variability reflects the lack of standardization of this practice and the contrasting evidence on its efficacy., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

(1) Background: This work aims to assess human exposure to EMF due to two different wearable antennas tuned to two 5G bands. (2) Methods: The first one was centered in the lower 5G band, around f = 3.5 GHz, whereas the second one was tuned to the upper 5G band, at 26.5 GHz. Both antennas were positioned on the trunk of four simulated human models. The exposure assessment was performed by electromagnetic numerical simulations. Exposure levels were assessed by quantifying the specific absorption rate averaged on 10 g of tissue (SAR 10g ) and the absorbed power density (S ab ), depending on the frequency of the wearable antenna. (3) Results: the higher exposure values that resulted were always mainly concentrated in a superficial area just below the antenna itself. In addition, these resulting distributions were narrowed around their peak values and tended to flatten toward lower values in farther anatomical body regions. All the exposure levels complied with ICNIRP guidelines when considering realistic input power. (4) Conclusions: This work highlights the importance of performing an exposure assessment when the antenna is placed on the human wearer, considering the growth of wearable technology and its wide variety of application, particularly regarding future 5G networks.

The recent development of core-shell nanoparticles which combine strain coupled magnetostrictive and piezoelectric phases, has attracted a lot of attention due to their ability to yield strong magnetoelectric effect even at room temperature, thus making them a promising tool to enable biomedical applications. To fully exploit their potentialities and to adapt their use to in vivo applications, this study analyzes, through a numerical approach, their magnetoelectric behavior, shortly quantified by the magnetoelectric coupling coefficient (αME), thus providing an important milestone for the characterization of the magnetoelectric effect at the nanoscale. In view of recent evidence showing that αME is strongly affected by both the applied magnetic field DC bias and AC frequency, this study implements a nonlinear model, based on magnetic hysteresis, to describe the responses of two different core-shell nanoparticles to various magnetic field excitation stimuli. The proposed model is also used to evaluate to which extent realistic variables such as core diameter and shell thickness affect the electric output. Results prove that αME of 80 nm cobalt ferrite-barium titanate (CFO-BTO) nanoparticles with a 60:40 ratio is equal to about 0.28 V/cm∙Oe corresponding to electric fields up to about 1000 V/cm when a strong DC bias is applied. However, the same electric output can be obtained even in absence of DC field with very low AC fields, by exploiting the hysteretic characteristics of the same composites. The analysis of core and shell dimension is as such to indicate that, to maximize αME, larger core diameter and thinner shell nanoparticles should be preferred. These results, taken together, suggest that it is possible to tune magnetoelectric nanoparticles electric responses by controlling their composition and their size, thus opening the opportunity to adapt their structure on the specific application to pursue., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Objective. Recently developed magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs) provide a potential tool to enable different biomedical applications. They could be used to overcome the intrinsic constraints posed by traditional neurostimulation techniques, namely the invasiveness of electrodes-based techniques, the limited spatial resolution, and the scarce efficiency of magnetic stimulation. Approach. By using computational electromagnetic techniques, we modelled the behaviour of recently designed biocompatible MENPs injected, in the shape of clusters, in specific cortical targets of a highly detailed anatomical head model. The distributions and the tissue penetration of the electric fields induced by MENPs clusters in each tissue will be compared to the distributions induced by traditional transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coils for non-invasive brain stimulation positioned on the left prefrontal cortex (PFC) of a highly detailed anatomical head model. Main results. MENPs clusters can induce highly focused electric fields with amplitude close to the neural activation threshold in all the brain tissues of interest for the treatment of most neuropsychiatric disorders. Conversely, TMS coils can induce electric fields of several tens of V m -1 over a broad volume of the PFC, but they are unlikely able to efficiently stimulate even small volumes of subcortical and deep tissues. Significance. Our numerical results suggest that the use of MENPs for brain stimulation may potentially led to a future pinpoint treatment of neuropshychiatric disorders, in which an impairment of electric activity of specific cortical and subcortical tissues and networks has been assumed to play a crucial role., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

This study addressed an important but not yet thoroughly investigated topic regarding human exposure to radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) generated by vehicular connectivity. In particular, the study assessed, by means of computational dosimetry, the RF-EMF exposure in road users near a car equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication antennas. The exposure scenario consisted of a 3D numerical model of a car with two V2V antennas, each fed with 1 W, operating at 5.9 GHz and an adult human model to simulate the road user near the car. The RF-EMF dose absorbed by the human model was calculated as the specific absorption rate (SAR), that is, the RF-EMF power absorbed per unit of mass. The highest SAR was observed in the skin of the head (34.7 mW/kg) and in the eyes (15 mW/kg); the SAR at the torso (including the genitals) and limbs was negligible or much lower than in the head and eyes. The SAR over the whole body was 0.19 mW/kg. The SAR was always well below the limits of human exposure in the 100 kHz-6 GHz band established by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The proposed approach can be generalized to assess RF-EMF exposure in different conditions by varying the montage/number of V2V antennas and considering human models of different ages.

(1) Background: Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) will soon operate using 5G New-Radio (NR) wireless communication, overcoming the limitations of the current V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) wireless communication technologies and increasing road-safety and driving efficiency. These innovations will also change the RF exposure levels of pedestrians and road-users in general. These people, in fact, will be exposed to additional RF sources coming from nearby cars and from the infrastructure. Therefore, an exposure assessment of people in the proximity of a connected car is necessary and urgent. (2) Methods: Two array antennas for 5G-V2X communication at 3.5 GHz were modelled and mounted on a realistic 3D car model for evaluating the exposure levels of a human model representing people on the road near the car. Computational simulations were conducted using the FDTD solver implemented in the Sim4Life platform; different positions and orientations between the car and the human model were assessed. The analyzed quantities were the Specific Absorption Rate on the whole body (SAR wb ), averaged over 10 g (SAR 10g ) in specific tissues, as indicated in the ICNIRP guidelines. (3) Results: the data showed that the highest exposure levels were obtained mostly in the head area of the human model, with the highest peak obtained in the configuration where the main beam of the 5G-V2X antennas was more direct towards the human model. Moreover, in all configurations, the dose absorbed by a pedestrian was well below the ICNIRP guidelines to avoid harmful effects. (4) Conclusions: This work is the first study on human exposure assessment in a 5G-V2X scenario, and it expands the knowledge about the exposure levels for the forthcoming use of 5G in connected vehicles.

This work aimed to estimate the distribution of the electric field generated by a combined cerebellar and frontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for treatment-resistant depression using electromagnetics computational techniques applied to a realistic head human model. Results showed that the stronger electric fields occur mainly in the cerebellum and in DLPFC areas, where the two pairs of electrodes were applied. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the simultaneous use of the two pairs of electrodes did not imply a lower effectiveness of the tDCS technique, in fact the electric field distributions in the primarily targets of the anatomical regions (i.e., cerebellum and DLPFC) were very similar to when the pairs of electrodes were applied separately.

This study is based on the quantification of the influence of the presence of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), of their geometry and their distance from cell membrane during time-varying electromagnetic fields cell membrane permeabilization on the pores opening dynamics. Results showed that the combined use of Au NPs and time-varying magnetic field can improve significantly the permeabilization of cell membrane. The presence of Au NPs allowed to reach transmembrane potential values enabling the cell membrane permeabilization only when placed at very short distance, equal to 20 nm. Both geometry and variability of the positioning in proximity of the cell membrane showed a strong influence on the probability of enabling pores opening. Clinical Relevance- This study provides a better comprehension about the mechanisms, still not completely understood, underlying cell membrane permeabilization by combining Au NPs and time-varying magnetic fields.

(1) Background: This work aims to assess the human exposure to the RF-EMFs emitted by a wearable antenna. (2) Methods: a wearable antenna tuned at f = 2.45 GHz was tested by placing it in six realistic configurations relative to a male and female human model. The exposure assessment was performed by means of computational methods to estimate the SAR 10g distributions at 1W of input power. (3) Results: (i) for all the configurations the SAR 10g distributions resulted always mainly concentrated on a superficial area immediately below the antenna itself; (ii) the obtained values have shown that the configuration with the highest exposure value was when the antenna was posed on the arm; (iii) the exposure tends to be higher for male model. (4) Discussion and Conclusions: This work highlights the importance of performing an exposure assessment when the antenna is placed on the human wearer considering the growth of the wearable technology and its wide variety of fields of application, e.g., medical and military.

(1) Background: Radiofrequency radiations are used in most devices in current use and, consequently, the assessment of the human exposure to the radiofrequency radiations has become an issue of strong interest. Even if in the military field there is wide use of radiofrequency devices, a clear picture on the exposure assessment to the electromagnetic field of the human beings in the military scenario is still missing. (2) Methods: a review of the scientific literature regarding the assessment of the exposure of the military personnel to the RF specific to the military environment, was performed. (3) Results: the review has been performed grouping the scientific literature by the typology of military devices to which the military personnel can be exposed to. The military devices have been classified in four main classes, according to their intended use: communication devices, localization/surveillance devices, jammers and EM directed-energy weapons. (4) Discussion and Conclusions: The review showed that in the exposure conditions here evaluated, there were only occasional situations of overexposure, whereas in the majority of the conditions the exposure was below the worker exposure limits. Nevertheless, the limited number of studies and the lack of exposure assessment studies for some devices prevent us to draw definitive conclusions and encourage further studies on military exposure assessment.

In recent years the introduction of 5G networks is causing a drastically change of human exposure levels in the radio frequency range. The aim of this paper is on expanding the knowledge on this issue, assessing the exposure levels for a particular case of indoor 5G scenario, where the presence of an Access Point (AP) was simulated. Coupling the traditional deterministic computational method with an innovative stochastic approach, called Polynomial Chaos Kriging, allowed to evaluate the exposure variability of an user considering the 3D beamforming capability of the antenna. The exposure levels, expressed in terms of specific absorption rate (SAR) in specific tissues, showed low values compared to ICNIRP guidelines.

The feasibility of using time-varying magnetic field as a contactless cells permeabilization method was demonstrated by experimental results, but the underlying mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study a numerical analysis of the transmembrane potential (TMP) at cell membranes during permeabilization by time-varying magnetic fields was proposed, and a first quantification of mechanical stress induced by the magnetic and electric fields and hypothesized to play an important role in the permeabilization mechanism was carried out. TMP values induced by typical in-vitro experimental conditions were far below the values needed for membrane permeabilization, with a strong dependence on distance of the cell from the coil. The preliminary assessment of the mechanical pressure and potential deformation of cells showed that stress values evaluated in conditions in which TMP values were too low to cause membrane permeabilization were comparable to those known to influence the pore opening mechanisms.Clinical Relevance- Results represent a significant step towards a better comprehension of the mechanism underlying cell membrane permeabilization by time-varying magnetic fields.

A novel Machine Learning (ML) method based on Neural Networks (NN) is proposed to assess radio-frequency (RF) exposure generated by WiFi sources in indoor scenarios. The aim was to build an NN capable of addressing the complexity and variability of real-life exposure setups, including the effects of not only down-link transmission access points (APs) but also up-link transmission by different sources (e.g. laptop, printers, tablets, and smartphones). The NN was fed with easy to be found data, such as the position and type of WiFi sources (APs, clients, and other users) and the position and material characteristics (e.g. penetration loss) of walls. The NN model was assessed using an additional new layout, distinct from that one used to build and optimize the NN coefficients. The NN model achieved a remarkable field prediction accuracy across exposure conditions in both layouts, with a median prediction error of -0.4 to 0.6 dB and a root mean square error of 2.5-5.1 dB, compared with the target electric field estimated by a deterministic indoor network planner. The proposed approach performs well for the different layouts and is thus generally used to assess RF exposure in indoor scenarios. © 2021 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Bioelectromagnetics Society., (© 2021 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Bioelectromagnetics Society.)

Background: Although experimental results proved the feasibility of using time-varying magnetic field as a contactless cells permeabilization method, the underlying mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study a numerical analysis of the time-dependent transmembrane potential (TMP) at cell membranes during permeabilization by time-varying magnetic fields was proposed, and a first quantification of mechanical stress induced by the magnetic and electric fields, hypothesized to play an important role in the permeabilization mechanism, was carried out., Methods: Starting from the simulation of real in vitro experimental conditions, the analysis was widened quantifying the influence of pulse frequency, cell dimension and distance of the cell from the magnetic field source. The mechanical pressure on cell membrane due to the interaction between free charges and induced electric field and due to the gradient of the magnetic field was quantified in all those conditions in which the TMP values were not high enough to cause membrane permeabilization., Results: TMP values induced by typical in-vitro experimental conditions were far below the values needed for membrane permeabilization, with a strong dependence on pulse frequency and distance of the cell from the coil., Conclusion: The preliminary assessment of the mechanical pressure on cell membrane showed that stress values evaluated in conditions in which TMP values were too low to cause membrane permeabilization were comparable to those known to influence the pores opening mechanisms. Results represent a significant step towards a better comprehension of the mechanism underlying cell membrane permeabilization by time-varying magnetic fields., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The optimal management of PDA in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants is still controversial. Aim of our study was to investigate the management of PDA in the Italian neonatal intensive care units (NICU)., Methods: We conducted an on-line survey study from June to September 2017. A 50-items questionnaire was developed by the Italian Neonatal Cardiology Study Group and was sent to Italian NICUs., Results: The overall response rate was 72%. Diagnosis of PDA was done by neonatologists, cardiologists or both (62, 12 and 28% respectively). PDA significance was assessed by a comprehensive approach in all centers, although we found a heterogeneous combination of parameters and cut-offs used. None used prophylactic treatment. 19% of centers treated PDA in the first 24 h, 60% after the first 24 h, following screening echocardiography or clinical symptoms, 18% after the first 72 h and 2% after the first week. In the first course of treatment ibuprofen, indomethacin and paracetamol were used in 87, 6 and 7% of centers respectively. Median of surgical ligation was 3% (1-6%)., Conclusions: Significant variations exist in the management of PDA in Italy. Conservative strategy and targeted treatment to infants older than 24 h with echocardiographic signs of hemodynamic significance seemed to be the most adopted approach.

Personal exposure to Extremely Low Frequency Magnetic Fields (ELF MF) in children is a very timely topic. We applied cluster analysis to 24 h indoor personal exposures of 884 children in France to identify possible common patterns of exposures. We investigated how electric networks near child home and other variables potentially affecting residential exposure, such as indoor sources of ELF MF, the age and type of the residence and family size, characterized the magnetic field exposure patterns. We identified three indoor personal exposure patterns: children living near overhead lines of high (63-150 kV), extra-high (225 kV) and ultra-high voltage (400 kV) were characterized by the highest exposures; children living near underground networks of low (400 V) and mid voltage (20 kV) and substations (20 kV/400 V) were characterized by mid exposures; children living far from electric networks had the lowest level of exposure. The harmonic component was not relevant in discriminating the exposure patterns, unlike the 50 Hz or broadband (40-800 Hz) component. Children using electric heating appliances, or living in big buildings or in larger families had generally a higher level of personal indoor exposure. Instead, the age of the residence was not relevant in differentiating the exposure patterns.

Background: Neonatologist performed echocardiography (NPE) has increasingly been used to assess the hemodynamic status in neonates. Aim of this survey was to investigate the utilization of NPE in Italian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs)., Methods: We conducted an on-line survey from June to September 2017. A questionnaire was developed by the Italian neonatal cardiology study group and was sent to each Italian NICU., Results: The response rate was 77%. In 94% of Italian NICUs functional echocardiography was used by neonatologists, cardiologists or both (57, 15 and 28% respectively). All the respondents used NPE in neonates with patent ductus arteriosus and persistent pulmonary hypertension, 93% in neonates with hypotension or shock, 85% in neonates with perinatal asphyxia, 78% in suspicion of cardiac tamponade, and 73% for line positioning. In 30% of center, there was no NPE protocol. Structural echocardiography in stable and critically ill neonates was performed exclusively by neonatologists in 46 and 36% of center respectively., Conclusions: NPE is widely used in Italian NICUs by neonatologists. Structural echocardiography is frequently performed by neonatologists. Institutional protocols for NPE are lacking. There is an urgent need of a formal training process and accreditation to standardize the use of NPE.

The widespread presence of electromagnetic sources in daily life has initiated several studies on the effects of radiofrequency and power frequency fields. Only few investigations on the genotoxic effects of exposure to intermediate frequency magnetic fields (IF-MF) have been done so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate possible genotoxic effects of exposure to 123.90 kHz and 250.80 kHz IF-MF on canine and human blood. Blood was exposed to IF-MF at 630 A/m (0.79 mT) and 80 A/m (0.10 m T) with exposure durations of 1-5 h (hourly), 20 and 24 h. Cylindrically divided Petri dish system was developed for in vitro exposures where different induced current could be achieved in the samples at the same magnetic flux density level. For the assessment of genotoxicity the alkaline comet assay was applied. We detected a statistically significant increase in DNA damage only following 20 h exposure to IF-MF., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the last few years, the use of nanoparticles for therapeutic applications has attracted the interest of many scientists, who are looking for effective methods to target nanoparticles linked to drugs directly to the diseased organs. Among them, magnetic targeting consists of magnetic systems (magnets or coils) which can impress high gradient magnetic fields and then magnetic forces on the magnetic nanoparticles. Despite some studies have reported an effective improvement in drug delivery by using this technique, there is still a paucity of studies able to quantify and explain the experimental results. In this scenario, "in silico" models allow to analyze and compare different magnetic targeting systems in their ability to generate the required magnetic field gradient for specific human targets.In this paper we then evaluated, by means of computational electromagnetics techniques, the attitude of various ad-hoc designed magnetic systems in targeting the heart tissues of differently aged human anatomical models.

In this paper, the exposure of a child to a hairdryer model is evaluated. Nowadays, the assessment of children exposure to near-field sources has become in fact a topic of high interest, because it was found that even domestic appliances could be relevant for children exposure level. Therefore, the aim of the present work is to use a method based on stochastic dosimetry to assess the exposure variability due to near-field sources, not limiting it only on some worst-case exposure scenario. In particular, electric field amplitudes induced in specific tissues composing the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system (following the ICNIRP guidelines) were analyzed. The results highlight a high exposure variability depending on the hairdryer position in respect with the child.

The present study aimed to assess the effects of a multimicronutrient food supplement on periodontal clinical parameters and systemic/local inflammatory markers. Thirty patients with severe chronic periodontitis who adhered to the Mediterranean diet (MD) underwent non-surgical therapy and daily took either the micronutrient complex (group-A) or olive oil (group-B) from baseline (T0) to 3 months (T2). Supragingival debridement was performed at T0. One month later (T1), one-stage-full-mouth disinfection was performed. Periodontal clinical parameters were monitored and correlated with serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and salivary matrix metalloproteinase-8/9 (MMPs-8/9) quantified at each time point. Longitudinal analysis revealed that in group-A, the MMP-8/-9 levels were decreased at T2 compared with at T0 (P = 0.013 and P = 0.004, respectively) and that the MMP-9 levels were decreased at T1 (P = 0.004). These reductions were not significant in group-B. The CRP levels in both groups did not change over time. No between-group differences were noted for any parameter. The correlation between the full-mouth bleeding score and the MMP-8 level in both groups was significant (P < 0.001). The investigated local and systemic inflammatory parameters were not affected by the tested multimicronutrient supplement in patients who adhered to MD. In conclusion, MMP-8 is useful for assessing the reduction in periodontal inflammation.

Characterization of children exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields is an important issue because of the possible correlation of leukemia onset with ELF exposure. Cluster analysis-a Machine Learning approach-was applied on personal exposure measurements from 977 children in France to characterize real-life ELF exposure scenarios. Electric networks near the child's home or school were considered as environmental factors characterizing the exposure scenarios. The following clusters were identified: children with the highest exposure living 120⁻200 m from 225 kV/400 kV overhead lines; children with mid-to-high exposure living 70⁻100 m from 63 kV/150 kV overhead lines; children with mid-to-low exposure living 40 m from 400 V/20 kV substations and underground networks; children with the lowest exposure and the lowest number of electric networks in the vicinity. 63⁻225 kV underground networks within 20 m and 400 V/20 kV overhead lines within 40 m played a marginal role in differentiating exposure clusters. Cluster analysis is a viable approach to discovering variables best characterizing the exposure scenarios and thus it might be potentially useful to better tailor epidemiological studies. The present study did not assess the impact of indoor sources of exposure, which should be addressed in a further study.

In this study, an innovative approach that combines Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Gaussian process regression (Kriging method), never used before in the assessment of human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), was applied to build space-dependent surrogate models of the 3D spatial distribution of the electric field induced in central nervous system (CNS) of children of different ages exposed to uniform magnetic field at 50 Hz of 200 μT of amplitude with uncertain orientation. The 3D surrogate models showed very low normalized percentage mean square error (MSE) values, always lower than 0.16%, confirming the feasibility and accuracy of the approach in estimating the 3D spatial distribution of E with a low number of components. Results showed that the electric field values induced in CNS tissues of children were within the ICNIRP basic restrictions for general public, with 99th percentiles of the E values obtained for each orientation showing median values in the range 1.9-2.1 mV/m. Similar 3D spatial distributions of the electric fields were found to be induced in CNS tissues of children of different ages. Bioelectromagnetics. 9999:1-10, 2018. © 2019 Bioelectromagnetics Society., (© 2019 Bioelectromagnetics Society.)

Interoception consists in the perception and processing of internal body signals, such as heartbeat. Previous neuroimaging studies revealed that attention to heartbeat activated bilateral insula and premotor regions. In the present double-blind study, we aimed at testing the role of insula in interoception by means of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) interfering with its activity. Sixteen healthy participants responded to a questionnaire to evaluate the tendency to be internally focused and performed a heartbeat counting task before and after tDCS in three sessions (left insula stimulation, right insula stimulation, sham stimulation). Real and reported heartbeat were recorded and used to calculate the accuracy scores. A significant interaction between stimulation condition and time (pre- and post-stimulation) was found due to a significant improvement of the interoceptive accuracy in the sham condition only. Our results demonstrated that stimulation over the insula reduced the possibility to improve the precision with which individuals detect internal signals., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMFs) in indoor environments depends on both outdoor sources such as radio, television and mobile phone antennas and indoor sources, such as mobile phones and wireless communications applications. Establishing the levels of exposure could be challenging due to differences in the approaches used in different studies. The goal of this study is to present an overview of the last ten years research efforts about RF EMF exposure in indoor environments, considering different RF-EMF sources found to cause exposure in indoor environments, different indoor environments and different approaches used to assess the exposure. The highest maximum mean levels of the exposure considering the whole RF-EMF frequency band was found in offices (1.14 V/m) and in public transports (0.97 V/m), while the lowest levels of exposure were observed in homes and apartments, with mean values in the range 0.13⁻0.43 V/m. The contribution of different RF-EMF sources to the total level of exposure was found to show slightly different patterns among the indoor environments, but this finding has to be considered as a time-dependent picture of the continuous evolving exposure to RF-EMF.

At delivery, if the cord is not clamped, blood continues to pass from the placenta to the newborn during the first minutes of life, allowing the transfer of 25-35 ml/kg of placental blood to the newborn, depending on gestational age, the timing of cord clamping, the position of the infant at birth, the onset of respiration, and administration of uterotonics to the mother. However, deriving benefits from delayed cord clamping (DCC) are not merely related to placental-to-fetal blood transfusion; establishing spontaneous ventilation before cutting the cord improves venous return to the right heart and pulmonary blood flow, protecting the newborn from the transient low cardiac output, and systemic arterial pressure fluctuations. Recent meta-analyses showed that delayed cord clamping reduces mortality and red blood cell transfusions in preterm newborns and increases iron stores in term newborns. Various authors suggested umbilical cord milking (UCM) as a safe alternative when delayed cord clamping is not feasible. Many scientific societies recommend waiting 30-60 s before clamping the cord for both term and preterm newborns not requiring resuscitation. To improve the uptake of placental transfusion strategies, in 2016 an Italian Task Force for the Management of Umbilical Cord Clamping drafted national recommendations for the management of cord clamping in term and preterm deliveries. The task force performed a detailed review of the literature using the GRADE methodological approach. The document analyzed all clinical scenarios that operators could deal with in the delivery room, including cord blood gas analysis during delayed cord clamping and time to cord clamping in the case of umbilical cord blood banking. The panel intended to promote a more physiological and individualized approach to cord clamping, specifically for the most preterm newborn. A feasible option to implement delayed cord clamping in very preterm deliveries is to move the neonatologist to the mother's bedside to assess the newborn's clinical condition at birth. This option could safely guarantee the first steps of stabilization before clamping the cord and allow DCC in the first 30 s of life, without delaying resuscitation. Contra-indications to placental transfusion strategies are clinical situations that may endanger mother 's health and those that may delay immediate newborn's resuscitation when required.

In this study, children's exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF, 40⁻800 Hz) is investigated. The interest in this thematic has grown due to a possible correlation between the increased risk of childhood leukemia and a daily average exposure above 0.4 µT, although the causal relationship is still uncertain. The aim of this paper was to present a new method of characterizing the children's exposure to ELF-MF starting from personal measurements using a stochastic approach based on segmentation (and to apply it to the personal measurements themselves) of two previous projects: the ARIMMORA project and the EXPERS project. The stochastic model consisted in (i) splitting the 24 h recordings into stationary events and (ii) characterizing each event with four parameters that are easily interpretable: the duration of the event, the mean value, the dispersion of the magnetic field over the event, and a final parameter characterizing the variation speed. Afterward, the data from the two databases were divided in subgroups based on a characteristic (i.e., children's age, number of inhabitants in the area, etc.). For every subgroup, the kernel density estimation (KDE) of each parameter was calculated and the p -value histogram of the parameters together was obtained, in order to compare the subgroups and to extract information about the children's exposure. In conclusion, this new stochastic approach allows for the identification of the parameters that most affect the level of children's exposure.

In the last two decades, motor cortex stimulation has been recognized as a valuable alternative to pharmacological therapy for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Although this technique started to be used in clinical studies, the debate about the optimal settings that enhance its effectiveness without inducing tissue damage is still open. To this purpose, computational approaches applied to realistic human models aimed to assess the current density distribution within the cortex can be a powerful tool to provide a basic understanding of that technique and could help the design of clinical experimental protocols. This study aims to evaluate, by computational techniques, the current density distributions induced in the brain by a realistic electrode array for cortical stimulation. The simulation outcomes, summarized by specific metrics quantifying the efficacy of the stimulation (i.e., the effective volume and the effective depth of penetration) over two cortical targets, were evaluated by varying the interelectrode distance, the stimulus characteristics (amplitude and frequency), and the anatomical human model. The results suggest that all these parameters somehow affect the current density distributions and have to be therefore taken into account during the planning of effective electrical cortical stimulation strategies. In particular, our calculations show that (1) the most effective interelectrode distance equals 2 cm; (2) increasing voltage amplitudes increases the effective volume; (3) increasing frequencies allow enlarging the effective volume; and (4) the effective depth of penetration is strictly linked to both the anatomy of the subject and the electrode placement.

Human exposure to extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) at 50 Hz is still a topic of great interest due to the possible correlation with childhood leukaemia. The estimation of induced electric fields in human tissues exposed to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) strictly depends on several variables which include the dielectric properties of the tissues. In this paper, the influence of the conductivity assignment to foetal tissues at different gestational ages on the estimation of the induced electric field due to ELF-MF exposure at 50 Hz has been quantified by means of a stochastic approach using polynomial chaos theory. The range of variation in conductivity values for each foetal tissue at each stage of pregnancy have been defined through three empirical approaches and the induced electric field in each tissue has been modelled through stochastic dosimetry. The main results suggest that both the peak and median induced electric fields in foetal fat vary by more than 8% at all gestational ages. On the contrary, the electric field induced in foetal brain does not seem to be significantly affected by conductivity data changes. The maximum exposure levels, in terms of the induced electric field found in each specific tissue, were found to be significantly below the basic restrictions indicated in the ICNIRP Guidelines, 2010.

Literature studies showed the ability to treat neuropsychiatric disorders using H1 coil, developed for the deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (dTMS). Despite the positive results of the clinical studies, the electric field (E) distributions inside the brain induced by this coil when it is positioned on the scalp according to the clinical studies themselves are not yet precisely estimated. This study aims to characterize the E distributions due to the H1 coil in the brain of two realistic human models by computational electromagnetic techniques and to compare them with the ones due to the figure-of-8 coil, traditionally used in TMS and positioned as such to simulate the clinical experiments. Despite inter-individual differences, our results show that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is the region preferentially stimulated by both H1 and figure-of-8 coil when they are placed in the position on the scalp according to the clinical studies, with a more broad and non-focal distribution in the case of H1 coil. Moreover, the H1 coil spreads more than the figure-of-8 coil both in the prefrontal cortex and medial prefrontal cortex and towards some deeper brain structures and it is characterized by a higher penetration depth in the frontal lobe. This work highlights the importance of the knowledge of the electric field distribution in the brain tissues to interpret the outcomes of the experimental studies and to optimize the treatments., (Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: A procedure to personalize the electrode to stimulate specific cortical regions by transcranial electric stimulations has been recently proposed. This study aims to assess the distribution of the electric field (E) induced by tES via the personalized (RePE) and the nonpersonalized (ReNPE) electrode., Methods: We used two anatomical models on which we shaped and placed the RePE, based on brain anatomy, and the ReNPE to target the bilateral primary motor (M1) or somatosensory cortex (S1) with the reference on the occipital area in both cases. The effect of shifts of the ReNPE position has been also evaluated., Results: The RePE induced higher E peak and median values than the ReNPE along the bilateral primary motor sensory cortices, up to their lateral regions, on a great percentage of volume of these cortices along all their extent. The shift of the ReNPE electrode toward the inion still induced higher E peak and median values than the ReNPE not shifted, but less than the RePE, mainly in the central region and, in a lower percentage of volume, in the lateral regions of these cortices., Conclusion: The E distributions induced for both targets (M1 and S1) by the RePE are different from the ones due to the ReNPE, along the whole extent of the bilateral primary sensorimotor cortices. The shift in the ReNPE positioning can modify the E distributions mainly in the more central region of these cortices., Significance: These results strengthen the suitability of personalized electrodes in targeting extended cortical regions.

This study focused on the evaluation of the exposure of children aging from five to fourteen years to 50 Hz homogenous magnetic field uncertain orientation using stochastic dosimetry. Surrogate models allowed assessing how the variation of the orientation of the magnetic field influenced the induced electric field in each tissue of the central nervous system (CNS) and in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) of children. Results showed that the electric field induced in CNS and PNS tissues of children were within the ICNIRP basic restrictions for general public and that no significant difference was found in the level of exposure of children of different ages when considering 10000 possible orientations of the magnetic field. A "mean stochastic model," useful to estimate the level of exposure in each tissue of a representative child in the range of age from five to fourteen years, was developed. In conclusion, this study was useful to deepen knowledge about the ELF-MF exposure, including the evaluation of variable and uncertain conditions, thus representing a step towards a more realistic characterization of the exposure to EMF.

The Recommendation 1999/529/EU and the Directive 2013/35/EU suggest limits for both general public and occupational exposures to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields, but without special limits for pregnant women. This study aimed to assess the compliance of pregnant women to the current regulations, when exposed to uniform MF at 50 Hz (100 μT for EU Recommendation and 1 and 6 mT for EU Directive). For general public, exposure of pregnant women and fetus always resulted in compliance with EU Recommendation. For occupational exposures, (1) Electric fields in pregnant women were in compliance with the Directive, with exposure variations due to fetal posture of <10 %, (2) electric fields in fetuses are lower than the occupational limits, with exposure variations due to fetal posture of >40 % in head tissues, (3) Electric fields in fetal CNS tissues of head are above the ICNIRP 2010 limits for general public at 1 mT (in 7 and 9 months gestational age) and at 6 mT (in all gestational ages)., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital viral infection, affecting 0.2 to 2.3% of all live births in developed countries. Very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight newborns are at higher risk of symptomatic CMV infection, most commonly secondary and acquired through breast milk. Gastrointestinal involvement is rare in acquired CMV infections, but it could be an important manifestation of postnatal infection in preterm infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units. Early onset of CMV gastrointestinal signs/symptoms is very rare. In a review of the literature it is described in 5 newborns in the first 24 hours of life, and 6 considering the onset in the first week of life. This review describes also a case report of congenital CMV in an immunocompetent newborn with onset of gastrointestinal signs immediately after birth: a possible association between viral infection and enteric manifestations was considered in the differential diagnosis. A review of the literature of the different case reports found has done, with description and comparison of the different patients and clinical presentations.

Recent studies have shown that the specific application of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the cerebellum can modulate cerebellar activity. In parallel, transcutaneous spinal DC stimulation (tsDCS) was found to be able to modulate conduction along the spinal cord and spinal cord functions. Of particular interest is the possible use of these techniques in pediatric age, since many pathologies and injuries, which affect the cerebellar cortex as well as spinal cord circuits, are diffuse in adults as well as in children. Up to now, experimental studies of cerebellar and spinal DC stimulation on children are completely missing and therefore there is a lack of information about the safety of this technique as well as the appropriate dose to be used during the treatment. Therefore, the knowledge of electric quantities induced into the cerebellum and over the spinal cord during cerebellar tDCS and tsDCS, respectively, is required. This work attempts to address this issue by estimating through computational techniques, the electric field distributions induced in the target tissues during the two stimulation techniques applied to different models of children of various ages and gender. In detail, we used four voxel child models, aged between 5- and 8-years. Results revealed that, despite inter-individual differences, the cerebellum is the structure mainly involved by cerebellar tDCS, whereas the electric field generated by tsDCS can reach the spinal cord also in children. Moreover, it was found that there is a considerable spread toward the anterior area of the cerebellum and the brainstem region for cerebellar tDCS and in the spinal nerve for spinal direct current stimulation. Our study therefore predicts that the electric field spreads in complex patterns that strongly depend on individual anatomy, thus giving further insight into safety issues and informing data for pediatric investigations of these stimulation techniques.

Aims: The aim of the present study is to determine pregnancy outcome with regard to the risk class and the modality way of referral to our joint Cardiac Obstetric Clinic., Methods: This is a prospective observational study. Patients referred to our clinic between 2011 and 2014 were included. Reason and timing for referral were recorded. Two groups were identified: women who were known to have cardiac disease before referral (group I) and women who were not (group II). Pregnancies were managed as recommended by the ESC Guidelines. Cardiac events were defined as death, heart failure requiring treatment, documented tachyarrhythmias, thromboembolic events and need for urgent endovascular procedures or surgery., Results: Of the 110 pregnancies, 51 (47%) were in group I and 57 (53%) in group II. Congenital (44%) and valvular (27%) diseases were the most frequent diagnosis. Thirty-two percent of patients were in WHO risk classes III-IV. Thirty percent were referred for symptoms, 70% for risk assessment. Women in group II were evaluated later in pregnancy than those in group I (25.6 ± 9 vs. 21.4 ± 9; P < 0.01). Cardiovascular events occurred in 15 (13.6%) pregnancies and were more common in WHO risk classes III-IV (11, P < 0.001), in group II (12, P= 0.02) and in patients referred for symptoms (11, P < 0.001). Stillbirths occurred only in classes III-IV (three pregnant, 2.7%)., Conclusion: There was no maternal or neonatal mortality and an overall acceptable incidence of cardiovascular events but a relevant percentage of pregnant were first referred late and/or for the onset of symptoms. Events were more frequent in these patients. Further efforts are needed to optimize referral to specialized centers.

Objective: Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) has been recently used in several clinical studies as diagnostic and therapeutic tool. However, electric field (E) distributions induced in the brain by dTMS are still unknown. This paper provides a characterization of the induced E distributions in the brain of a realistic human model due to 16 different coil configurations., Methods: The scalar potential finite-element method was used to calculate the E distributions differentiating the brain structures, e.g., cortex, white matter, anterior cingulated cortex, cerebellum, thalamus, hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens, amygdale, and hippocampus., Results: Our results support that the double cone coils and the large diameter circular coils are more prone to activate deeper brain structures but are also characterized by a reduced focality on the surface of the cortex, with the consequent possible counter effect of stimulating regions not of interest. The Hesed coils, although their ability to reach deep brain tissues is lower, seem to be more able to reduce the effect on other brain regions where the stimulation is undesired., Conclusion: All the coil configurations resulted subjected to a depth-focality tradeoff., Significance: Since there is not a configuration that is capable of achieving a stimulation both deep and focal, the selection of the most suitable coil settings for a specific clinical application should be based on a balanced evaluation between these two different needs.

Extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) exposure is still a topic of concern due to their possible impact on children's health. Although epidemiological studies claimed an evidence of a possible association between ELF-MF above 0.4 μT and childhood leukemia, biological mechanisms able to support a causal relationship between ELF-MF and this disease were not found yet. To provide further knowledge about children's ELF-MF exposure correlated to children's daily activities, a measurement study was conducted in Milan (Italy). Eighty-six children were recruited, 52 of whom were specifically chosen with respect to the distance to power lines and built-in transformers to oversample potentially highly exposed children. Personal and bedroom measurements were performed for each child in two different seasons. The major outcomes of this study are: (1) median values over 24-h personal and bedroom measurements were <3 μT established by the Italian law as the quality target; (2) geometric mean values over 24-h bedroom measurements were mostly <0.4 μT; (3) seasonal variations did not significantly influence personal and bedroom measurements; (4) the highest average MF levels were mostly found at home during the day and outdoors; (5) no significant differences were found in the median and geometric mean values between personal and bedroom measurements, but were found in the arithmetic mean.

In the last few years, deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) has been used for the treatment of depressive disorders, which affect a broad category of people, from adolescents to aging people. To facilitate its clinical application, particular shapes of coils, including the so-called Hesed coils, were designed. Given their increasing demand and the lack of studies which accurately characterize their use, this paper aims to provide a picture of the distribution of the induced electric field in four realistic human models of different ages and gender. In detail, the electric field distributions were calculated by using numerical techniques in the brain structures potentially involved in the progression of the disease and were quantified in terms of both amplitude levels and focusing power of the distribution. The results highlight how the chosen Hesed coil (H7 coil) is able to induce the maxima levels of E mainly in the prefrontal cortex, particularly for the younger model. Moreover, growing levels of induced electric fields with age were found by going in deep in the brain, as well as a major capability to penetrate in the deepest brain structures with an electric field higher than 50%, 70%, and 90% of the peak found in the cortex.

Mobile equipment use of wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) signal modulation has increased exponentially in the past few decades. However, there is inconclusive scientific evidence concerning the potential risks associated with the energy deposition in the brain from Wi-Fi and whether Wi-Fi electromagnetism interacts with cognitive function. In this study we investigated possible neurocognitive effects caused by Wi-Fi exposure. First, we constructed a Wi-Fi exposure system from commercial parts. Dosimetry was first assessed by free space radiofrequency field measurements. The experimental exposure system was then modeled based on real geometry and physical characteristics. Specific absorption rate (SAR) calculations were performed using a whole-body, realistic human voxel model with values corresponding to conventional everyday Wi-Fi exposure (peak SAR10g level was 99.22 mW/kg with 1 W output power and 100% duty cycle). Then, in two provocation experiments involving healthy human volunteers we tested for two hypotheses: 1. Whether a 60 min long 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi exposure affects the spectral power of spontaneous awake electroencephalographic (sEEG) activity (N = 25); and 2. Whether similar Wi-Fi exposure modulates the sustained attention measured by reaction time in a computerized psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) (N = 19). EEG data were recorded at midline electrode sites while volunteers watched a silent documentary. In the PVT task, button press reaction time was recorded. No measurable effects of acute Wi-Fi exposure were found on spectral power of sEEG or reaction time in the psychomotor vigilance test. These results indicate that a single, 60 min Wi-Fi exposure does not alter human oscillatory brain function or objective measures of sustained attention.

Human exposure modelling is a complex topic, because in a realistic exposure scenario, several parameters (e.g., the source, the orientation of incident fields, the morphology of subjects) vary and influence the dose. Deterministic dosimetry, so far used to analyze human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), is highly time consuming if the previously-mentioned variations are considered. Stochastic dosimetry is an alternative method to build analytical approximations of exposure at a lower computational cost. In this study, it was used to assess the influence of magnetic flux density (B) orientation on fetal exposure at 50 Hz by polynomial chaos (PC). A PC expansion of induced electric field (E) in each fetal tissue at different gestational ages (GA) was built as a function of B orientation. Maximum E in each fetal tissue and at each GA was estimated for different exposure configurations and compared with the limits of the International Commission of Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) Guidelines 2010. PC theory resulted in an efficient tool to build accurate approximations of E in each fetal tissue. B orientation strongly influenced E, with a variability across tissues from 10% to 43% with respect to the mean value. However, varying B orientation, maximum E in each fetal tissue was below the limits of ICNIRP 2010 at all GAs.

During the last decades studies addressing the effects of exposure to Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (ELF-EMF) have pointed out a possible link between those fields emitted by power lines and childhood leukaemia. They have also stressed the importance of also including in the assessment the contribution of frequency components, namely harmonics, other than the fundamental one. Based on the spectrum of supply voltage networks allowed by the European standard for electricity quality assessment, in this study the exposure of high-resolution three-dimensional models of foetuses to the whole harmonic content of a uniform magnetic field with a fundamental frequency of 50 Hz, was assessed. The results show that the main contribution in terms of induced electric fields to the foetal exposure is given by the fundamental frequency component. The harmonic components add some contributions to the overall level of electric fields, however, due to the extremely low permitted amplitude of the harmonic components with respect to the fundamental, their amplitudes are low. The level of the induced electric field is also much lower than the limits suggested by the guidelines for general public exposure, when the amplitude of the incident magnetic field is set at the maximum permitted level.

This work evaluates the complex exposure characteristics of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technology and describes the design of a WLAN exposure system built using commercially available modular parts for the study of possible biological health effects due to WLAN exposure in a controlled environment. The system consisted of an access point and a client unit (CU) with router board cards types R52 and R52n with 18 dBm and 25 dBm peak power, respectively. Free space radiofrequency field (RF) measurements were performed with a field meter at a distance of 40 cm from the CU in order to evaluate the RF exposure at several signal configurations of the exposure system. Finally, the specific absorption rate (SAR) generated by the CU was estimated computationally in the head of two human models. Results suggest that exposure to RF fields of WLAN systems strongly depends on the sets of the router configuration: the stability of the exposure was more constant and reliable when both antennas were active and vertically positioned, with best signal quality obtained with the R52n router board at channel 9, in UDP mode. The maximum levels of peak SAR were far away from the limits of international guidelines with peak levels found over the skin.