Radon concentration in self-bottled mineral spring waters as a possible public health issue

Since 2013, the Council Directive 2013/51/Euratom has been regulating the content of radioactive substances in water intended for human consumption. However, mineral waters are exempted from this regulation, including self-bottled springs waters, where higher radon concentration are expected. Therefore, a systematic survey has been conducted on all the 33 mineral spring waters of Lazio (a region of Central Italy) in order to assess if such waters, when self-bottled, may be of concern for public health. Waters have been sampled in two different ways to evaluate the impact of bottling on radon concentration. Water sampling was possible for 20 different spring waters, with 6 samples for each one. The results show that 2 (10%) of measured mineral spring waters returned radon concentrations higher than 100 Bq L−1, i.e., the parametric value established by the Council Directive. These results, if confirmed by other surveys involving a higher number of mineral spring waters, would suggest regulating also these waters, especially in countries like Italy for which: (i) mineral water consumption is significant; (ii) mineral concession owners generally allow the consumers to fill bottles and containers, intended for transport and subsequent consumption, directly from public fountains or from fountains within the plant; (iii) the consumers’ habit of drinking self-bottled mineral water is widespread

Association of cognitive function with glucose tolerance and trajectories of glucose tolerance over 12 years in the AusDiab study

INTRODUCTION: We investigated the association between glucose tolerance status and trajectories of change in blood glucose, and cognitive function in adults aged 25 to 85. METHODS: The sample (n = 4547) was drawn from a national, population-based cohort study in Australia (AusDiab). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and general health were assessed at 0, 5 and 12 years. Covariates included age, education, body mass index, blood pressure and physical activity. At 12 years, participants completed assessments of memory, processing speed and verbal ability. RESULTS: Known diabetes at baseline was associated with slower processing speed at 12 years in both younger (25–59 years) and older (>60 years) age-groups. After 12 years of follow-up, adults aged < 60 with diabetes at baseline had a mean speed score of 49.17 (SE = 1.09) compared with 52.39 (SE = 0.20) in normals. Among younger males without diagnosed diabetes, reduced memory at 12 years was associated with higher HbA1c at 5 years (β = −0.91, SE = 0.26, p < 0.001). No effects were apparent for females or older males. Adjusting for insulin sensitivity (HOMA-%S) and hs-C reactive protein attenuated these associations, but depression and CVD risk did not. Latent class analysis was used to analyse the associations between trajectories of HbA1C and glucose over 12 years, and cognition. Identified classes were described as 1) normal and stable blood glucose over time (reference), 2) high intercept but stable blood glucose over time, and 3) increasing blood glucose over time. In both young males and females, high stable glucose measures were associated with poorer cognitive function after 12 years. CONCLUSIONS: Those with type 2 diabetes, younger males with high non-diabetic HbA1c, and adults with high stable blood glucose are at increased risk of poorer cognition. The findings reinforce the need for management of diabetes risk factors in midlife.For funding or logistical support, the authors are grateful to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC grants 233200 and 1007544), the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Alphapharm Pty Ltd, Amgen Australia, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, City Health Centre—Diabetes Service—Canberra, Department of Health and Community Services—Northern Territory, Department of Health and Human Services—Tasmania, Department of Health—New South Wales, Department of Health—Western Australia, Department of Health—South Australia, Department of Human Services— Victoria, Diabetes Australia, Diabetes Australia Northern Territory, Eli Lilly Australia, Estate of the Late Edward Wilson, GlaxoSmithKline, Jack Brockhoff Foundation, Janssen-Cilag, Kidney Health Australia, Marian & FH Flack Trust, Menzies Research Institute, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer Pty Ltd, Pratt Foundation, Queensland Health, Roche Diagnostics Australia, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Sanofi Aventis, sanofi-synthelabo, and the Victorian Government’s OIS Program. KJA is funded by NHMRC Research Fellowship No. 1002560. JES is funded by NHMRC Research Fellowship No. 586623

Comportamiento genético de diversos genotipos de trigo frente a <i>Fusarium graminearum</i>

Fusarium graminearum es el principal agente causal de fusariosis de la espiga (FET) de trigo en Argentina, disminuye el rendimiento, reduce la calidad del grano y su uso final, y libera micotoxinas. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar nuevas fuentes de resistencia a FET en cultivares y líneas de trigo argentinos al comparar con cultivares resistentes internacionales conocidos. El comportamiento de Triticum aestivum se evaluó frente a F. graminearum como indicador de resistencia a la penetración de FET a la espiga de trigo (resistencia de tipo I) en. Los ensayos se realizaron en condiciones de campo en Marcos Juárez (62° 6’ 7” O, 32° 41’ 39” S; 116 msnm), provincia de Córdoba, Argentina, durante la primavera de 2010, con la humedad controlada por un sistema de microaspersión. Para este estudio distribuimos 210 variedades de trigo con espigas inoculadas por pulverización a mano sobre una parcela colina, que fue la unidad experimental; las variedades de trigo se plantaron e inocularon por duplicado. El diseño experimental fue de bloques completos aleatorios y los resultados fueron analizados por ANOVA y el test de Fisher-LSD (p£0.05) para comparar los valores medios de incidencia y severidad entre los tratamientos. La resistencia se evaluó a través de criterios patométricos y de rendimiento. La alta infectividad del aislamiento de F. graminearum permitió evaluar la enfermedad en todas las variedades de trigo. Todas las variables, excepto la incidencia, fueron estadísticamente diferentes entre los cultivares de trigo de Argentina, mientras que sólo el peso de mil granos difirió significativamente en los cultivares internacionales. De los 92 genotipos de trigo de línea avanzada de tres diferentes ciclos de crecimiento, 57 % fueron moderadamente resistentes y 40 % moderadamente susceptibles a infecciones. La resistencia a FET evaluada en todos los cultivares y líneas de genotipos nacionales e internacionales permitió identificar variedades de cinco niveles de resistencia a enfermedades. El conocimiento del comportamiento genético puede contribuir al desarrollo de nuevos cruzamientos para generar variedades de trigo con resistencia mejorada contra FET.Fusarium graminearum is the principal Fusarium head blight (FHB) causal agent in Argentine wheat, diminishes yields, reduces grain quality and end-use, and liberates mycotoxins. The aim of this study was to identify new sources of resistance to FHB in Argentine wheat cultivars and lines for comparion with known resistant international cultivars. We evaluated the Triticum aestivum behavior against F. graminearum indicative of resistance to wheat-spike penetration by FHB (type-I resistance). The assays were performed under field conditions in Marcos Juárez (62° 6’ 7” W, 32° 41’ 39” S; 116 masl), Córdoba province, Argentina, during spring 2010, with moisture controlled by a microsprinkler system. For this study we distributed 210 wheat varieties with spikes inoculated by hand-spraying on a hill plot, as the experimental unit, and they were planted and inoculated in duplicate. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks and results were analyzed by ANOVA and the Fisher-LSD test (p≤0.05) for comparing the mean values of incidence and severity among treatments. Resistance was evaluated through pathometric criteria and yields. The F. graminearum isolate’s high infectivity enabled disease evaluation for all wheat varieties. All variables, except incidence, were statistically different among the Argentine wheat cultivars, whereas only the thousand-grain weight differed significantly in the international cultivars. Of the 92 advanced wheat-line genotypes of three different growth cycles, 57 % were moderately resistant and 40 % moderately susceptible to infection. FHB resistance evaluated in all cultivars and domestic- and international-genotype lines identified varieties of five different disease-resistance levels. Knowledge of the genetic behavior can contribute to new crosses to generate varieties with improved resistance against FHB.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriale

Comportamiento genético de diversos genotipos de trigo frente a <i>Fusarium graminearum</i>

Fusarium graminearum es el principal agente causal de fusariosis de la espiga (FET) de trigo en Argentina, disminuye el rendimiento, reduce la calidad del grano y su uso final, y libera micotoxinas. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar nuevas fuentes de resistencia a FET en cultivares y líneas de trigo argentinos al comparar con cultivares resistentes internacionales conocidos. El comportamiento de Triticum aestivum se evaluó frente a F. graminearum como indicador de resistencia a la penetración de FET a la espiga de trigo (resistencia de tipo I) en. Los ensayos se realizaron en condiciones de campo en Marcos Juárez (62° 6’ 7” O, 32° 41’ 39” S; 116 msnm), provincia de Córdoba, Argentina, durante la primavera de 2010, con la humedad controlada por un sistema de microaspersión. Para este estudio distribuimos 210 variedades de trigo con espigas inoculadas por pulverización a mano sobre una parcela colina, que fue la unidad experimental; las variedades de trigo se plantaron e inocularon por duplicado. El diseño experimental fue de bloques completos aleatorios y los resultados fueron analizados por ANOVA y el test de Fisher-LSD (p£0.05) para comparar los valores medios de incidencia y severidad entre los tratamientos. La resistencia se evaluó a través de criterios patométricos y de rendimiento. La alta infectividad del aislamiento de F. graminearum permitió evaluar la enfermedad en todas las variedades de trigo. Todas las variables, excepto la incidencia, fueron estadísticamente diferentes entre los cultivares de trigo de Argentina, mientras que sólo el peso de mil granos difirió significativamente en los cultivares internacionales. De los 92 genotipos de trigo de línea avanzada de tres diferentes ciclos de crecimiento, 57 % fueron moderadamente resistentes y 40 % moderadamente susceptibles a infecciones. La resistencia a FET evaluada en todos los cultivares y líneas de genotipos nacionales e internacionales permitió identificar variedades de cinco niveles de resistencia a enfermedades. El conocimiento del comportamiento genético puede contribuir al desarrollo de nuevos cruzamientos para generar variedades de trigo con resistencia mejorada contra FET.Fusarium graminearum is the principal Fusarium head blight (FHB) causal agent in Argentine wheat, diminishes yields, reduces grain quality and end-use, and liberates mycotoxins. The aim of this study was to identify new sources of resistance to FHB in Argentine wheat cultivars and lines for comparion with known resistant international cultivars. We evaluated the Triticum aestivum behavior against F. graminearum indicative of resistance to wheat-spike penetration by FHB (type-I resistance). The assays were performed under field conditions in Marcos Juárez (62° 6’ 7” W, 32° 41’ 39” S; 116 masl), Córdoba province, Argentina, during spring 2010, with moisture controlled by a microsprinkler system. For this study we distributed 210 wheat varieties with spikes inoculated by hand-spraying on a hill plot, as the experimental unit, and they were planted and inoculated in duplicate. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks and results were analyzed by ANOVA and the Fisher-LSD test (p≤0.05) for comparing the mean values of incidence and severity among treatments. Resistance was evaluated through pathometric criteria and yields. The F. graminearum isolate’s high infectivity enabled disease evaluation for all wheat varieties. All variables, except incidence, were statistically different among the Argentine wheat cultivars, whereas only the thousand-grain weight differed significantly in the international cultivars. Of the 92 advanced wheat-line genotypes of three different growth cycles, 57 % were moderately resistant and 40 % moderately susceptible to infection. FHB resistance evaluated in all cultivars and domestic- and international-genotype lines identified varieties of five different disease-resistance levels. Knowledge of the genetic behavior can contribute to new crosses to generate varieties with improved resistance against FHB.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriale

Comportamiento genético de diversos genotipos de trigo frente a <i>Fusarium graminearum</i>

Fusarium graminearum es el principal agente causal de fusariosis de la espiga (FET) de trigo en Argentina, disminuye el rendimiento, reduce la calidad del grano y su uso final, y libera micotoxinas. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar nuevas fuentes de resistencia a FET en cultivares y líneas de trigo argentinos al comparar con cultivares resistentes internacionales conocidos. El comportamiento de Triticum aestivum se evaluó frente a F. graminearum como indicador de resistencia a la penetración de FET a la espiga de trigo (resistencia de tipo I) en. Los ensayos se realizaron en condiciones de campo en Marcos Juárez (62° 6’ 7” O, 32° 41’ 39” S; 116 msnm), provincia de Córdoba, Argentina, durante la primavera de 2010, con la humedad controlada por un sistema de microaspersión. Para este estudio distribuimos 210 variedades de trigo con espigas inoculadas por pulverización a mano sobre una parcela colina, que fue la unidad experimental; las variedades de trigo se plantaron e inocularon por duplicado. El diseño experimental fue de bloques completos aleatorios y los resultados fueron analizados por ANOVA y el test de Fisher-LSD (p£0.05) para comparar los valores medios de incidencia y severidad entre los tratamientos. La resistencia se evaluó a través de criterios patométricos y de rendimiento. La alta infectividad del aislamiento de F. graminearum permitió evaluar la enfermedad en todas las variedades de trigo. Todas las variables, excepto la incidencia, fueron estadísticamente diferentes entre los cultivares de trigo de Argentina, mientras que sólo el peso de mil granos difirió significativamente en los cultivares internacionales. De los 92 genotipos de trigo de línea avanzada de tres diferentes ciclos de crecimiento, 57 % fueron moderadamente resistentes y 40 % moderadamente susceptibles a infecciones. La resistencia a FET evaluada en todos los cultivares y líneas de genotipos nacionales e internacionales permitió identificar variedades de cinco niveles de resistencia a enfermedades. El conocimiento del comportamiento genético puede contribuir al desarrollo de nuevos cruzamientos para generar variedades de trigo con resistencia mejorada contra FET.Fusarium graminearum is the principal Fusarium head blight (FHB) causal agent in Argentine wheat, diminishes yields, reduces grain quality and end-use, and liberates mycotoxins. The aim of this study was to identify new sources of resistance to FHB in Argentine wheat cultivars and lines for comparion with known resistant international cultivars. We evaluated the Triticum aestivum behavior against F. graminearum indicative of resistance to wheat-spike penetration by FHB (type-I resistance). The assays were performed under field conditions in Marcos Juárez (62° 6’ 7” W, 32° 41’ 39” S; 116 masl), Córdoba province, Argentina, during spring 2010, with moisture controlled by a microsprinkler system. For this study we distributed 210 wheat varieties with spikes inoculated by hand-spraying on a hill plot, as the experimental unit, and they were planted and inoculated in duplicate. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks and results were analyzed by ANOVA and the Fisher-LSD test (p≤0.05) for comparing the mean values of incidence and severity among treatments. Resistance was evaluated through pathometric criteria and yields. The F. graminearum isolate’s high infectivity enabled disease evaluation for all wheat varieties. All variables, except incidence, were statistically different among the Argentine wheat cultivars, whereas only the thousand-grain weight differed significantly in the international cultivars. Of the 92 advanced wheat-line genotypes of three different growth cycles, 57 % were moderately resistant and 40 % moderately susceptible to infection. FHB resistance evaluated in all cultivars and domestic- and international-genotype lines identified varieties of five different disease-resistance levels. Knowledge of the genetic behavior can contribute to new crosses to generate varieties with improved resistance against FHB.Facultad de Ciencias ExactasCentro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriale

Views of Mental Health Professionals on Positive Changes in Service Practices and Staff-User Relationships After One Year of Covid-19 Pandemic in Italy

Abstract This study explored views of mental health services (MHS) professionals regarding positive changes in service practices and organizations, and staff-user relationships after one year of COVID19 in Italy. Professionals from a community-oriented MHS completed online the Questionnaire on MHS Transformations during the COVID-19 pandemic, a 30-item tool developed by a participatory approach and validated. Of the 184 participants, 91.8% felt it was ‘‘true/definitely true’’ that during the pandemic they had informed users on procedures to reduce contagion risks, and 82.1% stated that they had increased telephone contact with users. Sixty-nine percent of professionals reported that staff revised treatment plans according to new needs of care and 78.6% stated that they had been able to mediate between user needs and safe working procedures. Moreover, 79.4% of respondents stated that they had rediscovered the importance of gestures and habits, and 65% that they had gained strength among colleagues to face fear. Fifty-four percent of participants admitted that they had discovered unexpected personal resources in users. Overall, 59.6% of participants stated that they found some positives in the COVID-19 experience. Perceived positive changes was greater among professionals from community facilities vs. those from hospital and residential facilities. In community-oriented MHS, the pandemic offered an opportunity to change practices and rethink the meaning of relationships between people. This data may be useful in generating a more balanced understanding of COVID-19’s impact on MHS and for MHS planning in the pandemic era

Associations between Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Cognitive Function in Australian Urban Settings: The Moderating Role of Diabetes Status

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) is associated with lower cognitive function and diabetes in older adults, but little is known about whether diabetes status moderates the impact of TRAP on older adult cognitive function. We analysed cross-sectional data from 4141 adults who participated in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study in 2011–2012. TRAP exposure was estimated using major and minor road density within multiple residential buffers. Cognitive function was assessed with validated psychometric scales, including: California Verbal Learning Test (memory) and Symbol–Digit Modalities Test (processing speed). Diabetes status was measured using oral glucose tolerance tests. We observed positive associations of some total road density measures with memory but not processing speed. Minor road density was not associated with cognitive function, while major road density showed positive associations with memory and processing speed among larger buffers. Within a 300 m buffer, the relationship between TRAP and memory tended to be positive in controls (β = 0.005; p = 0.062), but negative in people with diabetes (β = −0.013; p = 0.026) and negatively associated with processing speed in people with diabetes only (β = −0.047; p = 0.059). Increased TRAP exposure may be positively associated with cognitive function among urban-dwelling people, but this benefit may not extend to those with diabetes

A bi-directional relationship between obesity and health-related quality of life : evidence from the longitudinal AusDiab study

Objective: To assess the prospective relationship between obesity and health-related quality of life, including a novel assessment of the impact of health-related quality of life on weight gain.Design and setting: Longitudinal, national, population-based Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle (AusDiab) study, with surveys conducted in 1999/2000 and 2004/2005.Participants: A total of 5985 men and women aged 25 years at study entry.Main outcome measure(s): At both time points, height, weight and waist circumference were measured and self-report data on health-related quality of life from the SF-36 questionnaire were obtained. Cross-sectional and bi-directional, prospective associations between obesity categories and health-related quality of life were assessed.Results: Higher body mass index (BMI) at baseline was associated with deterioration in health-related quality of life over 5 years for seven of the eight health-related quality of life domains in women (all P0.01, with the exception of mental health, P&gt;0.05), and six out of eight in men (all P&lt;0.05, with the exception of role-emotional, P=0.055, and mental health, P&gt;0.05). Each of the quality-of-life domains related to mental health as well as the mental component summary were inversely associated with BMI change (all P&lt;0.0001 for women and P0.01 for men), with the exception of vitality, which was significant in women only (P=0.008). For the physical domains, change in BMI was inversely associated with baseline general health in women only (P=0.023).Conclusions: Obesity was associated with a deterioration in health-related quality of life (including both physical and mental health domains) in this cohort of Australian adults followed over 5 years. Health-related quality of life was also a predictor of weight gain over 5 years, indicating a bi-directional association between obesity and health-related quality of life. The identification of those with poor health-related quality of life may be important in assessing the risk of future weight gain, and a focus on health-related quality of life may be beneficial in weight management strategies.<br /

Highly efficient 2D materials engineered perovskite/Si tandem bifacial cells beyond 29%

Perovskite/Silicon tandem technology represents a promising route to achieve 30% power conversion efficiency (PCE), by ensuring low levelized costs energy. In this article, we develop a mechanically stacked 2T perovskite/silicon tandem solar cell, with subcells independently fabricated, optimized, and subsequently coupled by contacting the back electrode of the mesoscopic perovskite top cell with the texturized and metalized front contact of the silicon bottom cell. The possibility to separately optimize the two sub-cells allows to carefully choose the most promising device structure for both top and bottom cells. Indeed, semitransparent perovskite top cell performance is boosted through the use of selected two-dimensional materials to tune the device interfaces. In addition, a protective buffer layer is used to prevent damages induced by the transparent electrode sputtering deposition over the hole transporting layer. A textured amorphous/crystalline silicon heterojunction cell fabricated with a fully industrial in-line production process is here used as state of art bottom cell. The perovskite/c-Si tandem device demonstrates remarkable PCE of 28.7%. Moreover, we demonstrate the use of a bifacial silicon bottom cell, as a viable way for overcoming the current matching constrain imposed by the 2T configuration. Here, the current generation difference between perovskite and c-Si cells is compensated by exploiting the albedo radiation thanks to the bifaciality of the commercial c-Si cell used in this article. Considering standard rear irradiation, final power generation density above 32 mW/cm(2) can be achieved, paving the way for a tandem technology customable according to the final installation site