First epidemiological study on occupational radar exposure in the French Navy: a 26-year cohort study.

This retrospective cohort study deals with the causes of death among 57,000 military personnel who served in the French Navy surface vessels and were observed over the period 1975-2000. We successively compared the mortality rate and the specific causes of death between two groups differing in their potential exposure levels to radar. Occupational exposure was defined according to the on-board workplace (radar and control groups). The age-adjusted death ratios of the navy personnel were compared. For all causes of death, the results showed that 885 deaths in the radar group and 299 in the control group occurred (RR = 1.00 (95% CI: 0.88-1.14)). RRs were 0.92 (95% CI: 0.69-1.24) for neoplasms. For the duration of follow-up, the results did not show an increased health risk for military personnel exposed to higher levels of radio frequencies in the radar group, but the number of deaths was very small for some cancer sites.

Chronic Electromagnetic Exposure at Occupational Safety Level Does Not Affect the Metabolic Profile nor Cornea Healing after LASIK Surgery.

LASIK eye surgery has become a very common practice for myopic people, especially those in the military. Sometimes undertaken by people who need to keep a specific medical aptitude, this surgery could be performed in secret from the hierarchy and from the institute medical staff. However, even though the eyes have been previously described as one of the most sensitive organs to electromagnetic fields in the human body, no data exist on the potential deleterious effects of electromagnetic fields on the healing eye. The consequences of chronic long-lasting radar exposures at power density, in accordance with the occupational safety standards (9.71 GHz, 50 W/m(2)), were investigated on cornea healing. The metabolic and clinical statuses after experimental LASIK keratotomy were assessed on the different eye segments in a New Zealand rabbit model. The analysis methods were performed after 5 months of exposure (1 hour/day, 3 times/week). Neither clinical or histological examinations, nor experimental data, such as light scattering, (1)H-NMR HRMAS metabolomics, (13)C-NMR spectra of lipidic extracts, and antioxidant status, evidenced significant modifications. It was concluded that withdrawing the medical aptitude of people working in electromagnetic field environments (i.e., radar operators in the navy) after eye surgery was not justified.

[What's new in biomedical applications for Terahertz (THz) technology]. / A la frontière onde-lumière : que peuvent apporter les techniques térahertz (THz) dans le domaine de la santé ?

Terahertz technologies have recently been applied to develop high resolution imaging. Since practical portable systems can be designed, the possibilty has emerged to easily screen for biohazards and concealed objects, a procedure which usually requires remote analysis. Applications of THz are also envisaged in the medical field, because this technology offers a degree of accuracy never reached before in molecule analysis. Skin abnormalities and dental health care are two promising targets of THz applications. Nevertheless, potential hazards and health effects of THz exposure should be monitored carefully, particularly since some data suggest induction of genomic instability.

2,3-Diarylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines as potential inhibitors of UV-induced keratinocytes apoptosis: synthesis, pharmacological properties and interactions with model membranes and oligonucleotides by NMR.

Four 2,3-diarylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines (I, 1a-c) were synthesized as inhibitors of UV-induced apoptosis and showed quite different properties. First, only the pyridinyl derivative I showed protection in molt cells. From the supposed intracellular target, phospholipid membrane models were studied by (1)H, (2)H and (31)P NMR spectroscopy. All these molecules can incorporate the membrane bilayer of small unilamellar vesicles of lecithin (SUV). However, I is clearly closed to the external polar head of the lipids, and is relatively mobile in the layer. Conversely, the other molecules are strongly immobilized in the deep part of the external layer. (31)P solid-state NMR spectra recorded on phospholipid dispersions (multilayers vesicles (MLV)) completely excluded any detergent effect or any modification of temperature transition. The only structural or dynamic effect observed was a homogeneous, but limited, reduction in the chemical shift anisotropy in the presence of I, in agreement with its superficial location. (2)H NMR experiment performed on the same model using perdeuterated phospholipids showed no significant fluidity reduction at the level of terminal CD(3) groups in the presence of 1a-c, according to their deep location. Finally, their interactions with synthetic oligonucleotide, d(CGATCG)(2) was studied showing non specific interactions of 1a on the external GC pair, while no interaction was observed with the other derivatives.