Case-control studies on residential radon and lung cancer: A concise review

The risk estimates for the general population extrapolated from the risk obtained from the miner studies leaded many national and international health organizations to estimate that residential exposure to radon and its decay products can be considered one of the main lung cancer risks after the tobacco smoking, which is responsible of a very large fraction of the total number of lung (and other) cancers. Due to this health relevance and to uncertainties in the extrapolation from studies on miners, many residential case-controls studies have been conducted in Europe, North America and China, are shortly reviewed in this paper. Most of these studies estimated an increased risk, proportional to the radon expo- sure, although a statistical significance of the estimated risk was reached only in few studies or restricted analyses, due to the low statistical power related to the relatively small study size and the presence of not negligible uncertainties in the evaluated radon exposure. The effects of these uncertainties were analyzed in some studies, and it was estimated to reduce the risk by 50% to 100%. Moreover, some restricted analyses showed that selecting subjects with a presumably better evaluation of radon exposure, for example with radon measurement covering all the exposure period of interest, the estimated risk increases by a factor of about two. The use of retrospective dosimetry compared with contemporary radon concentration measurements produce higher risks, too. In most of the studies a multiplicative interaction between tobacco smoking and radon is suggested, which implies that the lung cancer risk due to radon exposure is much higher for a smoker, compared with the risk for a never-smoker. More precise and definitive results are expected from pooled analysis. The just published pooled analyses of two Chinese studies and seven North American estimate a (slightly) significant excess odds ratio of 14% and 11% respectively. A more precise and comprehensive assessment is expected from the forthcoming results of the European pooling of 13 studies and the following pooling of all the studies. Other studies will be probably needed to answer some question on the risk for never-smokers and the interaction with passive smoking

Educare al (buon) gusto attraverso i sensi, la mente e le emozioni. Il "Convivio pedagogico"

L\u2019educazione al gusto \ue8 un argomento che sembra godere del singolare privilegio di fare a meno dal confrontarsi con le scienze deputate alla formazione umana, conseguenza della visione edonistica del concetto che ancora prevale tanto nelle rappresentazioni quanto nei linguaggi. Lo studio documenta gli esiti di una ricerca etnografica denominata \u201cconvivio pedagogico\u201d, dove l\u2019educare al (buon) gusto si confronta direttamente con questioni che riguardano l\u2019identit\ue0 di individui e di comunit\ue0 sociali. Dalla ricerca ha trovato riscontro che, con specifico riferimento all\u2019alimentazione, il gusto, dall\u2019intrecciare il sapore, il sapere e il piacere, delinea originali traiettorie per l\u2019apprendere, utili per sottrarre i soggetti dai condizionamenti esterni, rafforzando autonomia e responsabilit\ue0 nelle decisioni e nelle scelte che guidano i comportamenti dei soggetti nella quotidianit\ue0

Estimating Muscle Power of the Lower Limbs through the 5-Sit-to-Stand Test: A Comparison of Field vs. Laboratory Method

The 5-Sit-to-stand test (5STS) is used for lower limb muscle power (MP) determination in field/clinical setting. From the time taken to perform five standing movements and three partially verified assumptions (vertical displacement, mean concentric time, and mean force), MP is estimated as the body's vertical velocity x force. By comparison with a gold standard, laboratory approach (motion capture system and force plate), we aimed to: (1) verify the assumptions; (2) assess the accuracy of the field-estimated MP (MPfield); (3) develop and validate an optimized estimation (MPfield-opt). In 63 older adults (67 +/- 6 years), we compared: (i) estimated and measured assumptions (2-WAY RM ANOVA), (ii) MPfield and MPfield-opt with the reference/laboratory method (MPlab) (2-WAY RM ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), Bland-Altman analysis). There was a significant difference between estimated and measured assumptions (p < 0.001). Following the implementation of the optimized assumptions, MPfield-opt (205.1 +/- 55.3 W) was not significantly different from M-lab (199.5 +/- 57.9 W), with a high correlation (r = 0.86, p < 0.001) and a non-significant bias (5.64 W, p = 0.537). Provided that corrected assumptions are used, 5STS field test is confirmed a valid time- and cost-effective field method for the monitoring of lower limbs MP, a valuable index of health status in aging

Indoor Radon: Sources, Transport Mechanisms and Influencing Parameters

Population exposure to indoor radon has been proven to increase the risk of lung cancer, and it is considered a leading cause after tobacco smoking. Due to the relatively low outdoor activity concentration, most of the exposure to radon occurs indoors. Radon is generated mostly by the rocks that contain radium-226 either in the soil or in the building materials. Once generated, it enters the buildings directly, due to the activity concentration gradient, or indirectly via a radon carrier. The magnitude and the relative contribution of the entry patterns depend mainly on the building characteristics, the geology, and the living habits of occupants

Social Support, Identity Affirmation, and Psychological Well-Being: A Developmental and Intersectional Comparison between Italian Cisgender and Non-Binary People with Bisexual Orientation

Incorporating the perspectives of positive psychology, intersectionality, and life course into minority stress theory, this study aimed to examine the relationships between social support, identity affirmation, and psychological well-being among 483 Italian individuals with bisexual orientation, accounting for differences in gender identity (cisgender vs. non-binary) and age groups (young, early, and middle adult). A mediation model was tested in which identity affirmation served as a presumed mediator between social support and psychological well-being. We also examined whether gender identity and age group moderated the hypothesized associations. Multivariate ANOVA and multigroup mediation analyses were conducted. Results showed that (a) cisgender individuals had higher social support and psychological well-being than non-binary individuals, but not identity affirmation, which was higher in the latter group, (b) psychological well-being, but not social support and identity affirmation, differed between groups, with the youngest cohort reporting worse health than their elders, (c) identity affirmation mediated the relationship between social support and psychological well-being, (d) mediation was significant only in binary individuals (compared to cisgender), whereas no age differences were found. Overall, this study highlights the need to consider bisexual individuals as a nonhomogeneous population living multiple life experiences, especially when minority identities intersect

Calculation of lifetime lung cancer risks associated with radon exposure, based on various models and exposure scenarios

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High annual radon concentration in dwellings and natural radioactivity content in nearby soil in some rural areas of Kosovo and Metohija

Some previous studies on radon concentration in dwellings of some areas of Kosovo and Metohija have revealed a high average radon concentration, even though the detectors were exposed for three months only. In order to better design a larger study in this region, the annual measurements in 25 houses were carried out as a pilot study. For each house, CR-39-based passive devices were exposed in two rooms for the two consecutive six-month periods to account for seasonal variations of radon concentration. Furthermore, in order to correlate the indoor radon with radium in nearby soil and to improve the knowledge of the natural radioactivity in the region, soil samples near each house were collected and 226Ra, 232Th, 40K activity concentration were measured. The indoor radon concentration resulted quite high from the average (163 Bq/m3) and generally it did not differ considerably between the two rooms and the two six-month periods. The natural radionuclides in soil resulted to be distributed quite uniformly. Moreover, the correlation between the226Ra content in soil and radon concentration in dwellings resulted to be low (R2=0.26). The annual effective dose from radon and its short-lived progeny (5.5 mSv, in average) was calculated by using the last ICRP dose conversion factors. In comparison, the contribution to the annual effective dose of outdoor gamma exposure from natural radionuclides in soil is nearly negligible (66 mSv). In conclusion, the observed high radon levels are only partially correlated with radium in soil; moreover, a good estimate of the annual average of radon concentration can be obtained from a six-month measurement with a proper choice of exposure period, which could be useful when designing large surveys

Some results of a radon survey in 207 Serbian schools

In this paper the results of radon concentration measurements performed in 207 schools in 7 communities of Southern Serbia are presented. The annual radon concentration varied from 17 Bqm-3 to 428 Bq m-3 with a median value of 96 Bq m-3. The arithmetic mean (AM) of the 207 annual averages was 118 Bq m-3 with a standard deviation (SD) of 78 Bq m-3. The best distribution fitting of radon concentration by log-normal function was obtained. The log-normal parameters are the following: geometric mean (GM) = Bq m-3, geometric standard deviation (GSD) = 1.9. In addition, a spatial distribution of the indoor radon concentration over the investigated areas is observed.JRC.E.8-Nuclear securit

Design, Analysis, and Fabrication of a Snake-Inspired Robot with a Rectilinear Gait

Snake-inspired robots display promise in areas such as search, rescue and reconnaissance due to their ability to locomote through tight spaces. However, several specific issues regarding the design and analysis must be addressed in order to better design them. This thesis develops kinematic and dynamic models for a class of snake-inspired gait known as a rectilinear gait, where mechanism topology changes over the course of the gait. A model using an Eulerian framework and Coulomb friction yields torque expressions for the joints of the robot. B-spline curves are then used to generate a parametric optimization formulation for joint trajectory generation. Exact gradient computation of the torque functions is presented. A parametric model is used to describe the performance effects of changing system parameters such as mass, length, and motor speed. Finally, a snake-inspired robot is designed and fabricated in order to demonstrate both the vertical rectilinear gait and a modular, molded design aimed at reducing the cost of fabrication

Similarities and differences between radon surveys across Europe: results from MetroRADON questionnaire

Background: As a major cause of lung cancer after smoking, indoor radon is a hazard for human health. Key steps of radon surveys are numerous and include metrology, survey design, development of maps, communication of results to stakeholders, etc. The Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM introduced new challenges for European Union Member States, such as the identification of radon priority areas, which calls for efforts to improve all the key steps involved in radon surveys. Objective: This study aims to compare existing radon measurement procedures between different European countries and to use the results to optimize the consistency of indoor radon data across Europe. Design: A questionnaire was developed and sent to more than 70 European institutions working in this field to collect information on indoor radon surveys carried out in the respective countries, in order to identify the rationale and methodologies used. Results: A total of 56 questionnaire forms on indoor radon surveys were completed and returned by universities, research institutions, and competent authorities on national and regional surveys from 24 European countries. The replies have been analyzed, and the main findings have been reported, although these replies did not allow to answer all the questions about comparability. Conclusions: From the replies given by the respondents, there is evidence that European indoor radon surveys are comparable regarding measurement methods but not comparable regarding the survey design. Comparability regarding data management, statistical treatment, aggregation, and mapping is unclear on the basis of the replies putting in evidence the need of further information