Evidence for a highly elastic shell-core organization of cochlear outer hair cells by local membrane indentation.

Cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) are thought to play an essential role in the high sensitivity and sharp frequency selectivity of the hearing organ by generating forces that amplify the vibrations of this organ at frequencies up to several tens of kHz. This tuning process depends on the mechanical properties of the cochlear partition, which OHC activity has been proposed to modulate on a cycle-by-cycle basis. OHCs have a specialized shell-core ultrastructure believed to be important for the mechanics of these cells and for their unique electromotility properties.

Influence of dose-rate, post-irradiation incubation time and growth factors on interphase cell death by apoptosis and clonogenic survival of human peripheral lymphocytes.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of dose-rate, post-irradiation incubation time and growth factors on radiation-induced interphase cell death by apoptosis and reproductive cell death in human peripheral lymphocytes.

Materials And Methods: Lymphocytes in G0-phase were exposed in vitro to 1-3Gy 137Cs gamma-radiation at a high- (HDR, 45Gy/h) or a low dose-rate (LDR, 0.024Gy/h).