The geographical differences and similarities of radon affected areas in England

The geographical distribution of radon gas is very uneven. The gas occurs naturally in all buildings at concentrations which can vary from below the United Kingdom national average of 20 Bq m(^-3) to more than 2,000 Bq m(^-3). Five counties have been identified by the NRPB as 'Affected Areas' where more than 1% of homes have radon levels in excess of the current Action Level of 200 Bq m(^-3) (Miles et al., 1992). These counties are Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire. The level of radon gas in buildings is largely dependent on the underlying geology but geology does not always provide a full answer as to why spatial variations in radon occur. The implication of land capability on indoor radon levels in the five Affected Areas has been assessed using ARC/INFO and in Northamptonshire die influence of social factors (population density, social class and the proportion of households consisting only of pensioners) has been analysed. There are some similarities in the results for the Affected Areas (especially between the counties located in the south-west of die country) as well as some striking differences (for example, the relationship between urban areas and radon levels differs in all the Affected Areas). Results in Somerset and Northamptonshire are strongly influenced by one or more dominant radon category or land capability grade. In general, higher radon levels are associated with poor quality agricultural land and, in Northamptonshire, with high population density at ward level. The areas of Northamptonshire which have above average proportions in social classes I and II (1991 Census) are more likely to be associated with low radon levels (at district level), whereas areas with high proportions of households consisting only of pensioners tend to be associated with areas where more than 10% of homes are above the Action Level (at ward level)

Tissue engineering: construction of a multicellular 3D scaffold for the delivery of layered cell sheets.

Many tissues, such as the adult human hearts, are unable to adequately regenerate after damage.(2,3) Strategies in tissue engineering propose innovations to assist the body in recovery and repair. For example, TE approaches may be able to attenuate heart remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) and possibly increase total heart function to a near normal pre-MI level.(4) As with any functional tissue, successful regeneration of cardiac tissue involves the proper delivery of multiple cell types with environmental cues favoring integration and survival of the implanted cell/tissue graft. Engineered tissues should address multiple parameters including: soluble signals, cell-to-cell interactions, and matrix materials evaluated as delivery vehicles, their effects on cell survival, material strength, and facilitation of cell-to-tissue organization. Studies employing the direct injection of graft cells only ignore these essential elements.(2,5,6) A tissue design combining these ingredients has yet to be developed. Here, we present an example of integrated designs using layering of patterned cell sheets with two distinct types of biological-derived materials containing the target organ cell type and endothelial cells for enhancing new vessels formation in the "tissue". Although these studies focus on the generation of heart-like tissue, this tissue design can be applied to many organs other than heart with minimal design and material changes, and is meant to be an off-the-shelf product for regenerative therapies. The protocol contains five detailed steps. A temperature sensitive Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAAM) is used to coat tissue culture dishes. Then, tissue specific cells are cultured on the surface of the coated plates/micropattern surfaces to form cell sheets with strong lateral adhesions. Thirdly, a base matrix is created for the tissue by combining porous matrix with neovascular permissive hydrogels and endothelial cells. Finally, the cell sheets are lifted from the pNIPAAM coated dishes and transferred to the base element, making the complete construct

Telomere Length and Distribution in Three Developmental Stages

Telomeres are specialised nucleoprotein structures present at the ends of each chromatid that function to maintain genome stability. It is well established that a gradual decline in telomere length is associated with the process of cellular ageing, and thereby to the pathobiology of age-related diseases. In addition, the localisation of the telomere at the nuclear periphery plays an important role in the spatio-temporal organisation of the genome and in ensuring faithful segregation of chromosomes during meiosis. The aims of this thesis were to investigate telomere localisation in the nucleus, and telomere length in three hitherto early stages of development, gametogenesis, preimplantation embryogenesis and the neonatal period. Specifically: 1. To test the hypothesis that telomeres localised at the nuclear periphery in sperm cells and that this organisation was altered in sub-fertile men 2. To optimise a means of assessing average telomere length using DNA from small sample sizes and using whole genome amplified DNA from single cells 3. To investigate the role of telomere length in reproductive ageing and aneuploidy generation in women by testing the hypothesis that telomere length is significantly shorter in the first polar bodies and cleavage stage embryos of older women 4. To test the hypothesis that “preterm at term” babies (i.e. premature babies assessed at the time of their due date) displayed genetic signs of premature ageing (as manifested by significantly shorter telomeres than their term born counterparts) alongside the already established clinical signs (characterised by hypertension, diabetes and altered body fat distribution) Results confirmed the peripheral distribution of telomeres in the sperm heads of normally fertile males (using both 2D and 3D imaging) plus the novel finding that telomere distribution patterns are altered in the sperm heads of infertile males. Secondly, a reliable means of measuring telomere length was optimised in order to assess average telomere length using DNA from small sample volumes (down to single cells). Using this technology, average telomere length analysis in polar bodies and embryos found no evidence to support the hypothesis that telomere length is associated with either advanced maternal age or aneuploidy generation. Similarly, results suggest that telomere length is not significantly shorter in “preterm at term” infants compared to term born controls, thus providing no evidence that telomere attrition is involved in the pathobiology of the ‘aged phenotype’ observed in preterm infants. Taken together, results from this thesis provide some novel insights into the function of these highly important features of the genome, but also highlight that a great deal remains to be uncovered in the complex molecular mechanisms that contribute to the regulation of telomere length and nuclear distribution

The Role of University-Required Fitness Courses in Students\u27 Health and Exercise Practices

Lifetime fitness (LF) classes include exercise, sport, and recreational activity courses. The main purposes of LF classes are to give health education that elicits mental, social, and physical preparation for a lifelong experience of fitness. However, previous research has not extensively investigated the role of LF classes on students’ motivations to exercise during and after completing the course. PURPOSE: To determine whether or not taking an LF class contributes to a student’s motivation to exercise, to determine a motivation for signing up for an LF course, to determine why they chose that specific class, and to determine the degree to which an LF class effectively changes a student’s view on exercise. METHODS: Male and female college students (n=183) were recruited from LF classes, including aerobic walking, aerobic running, volleyball, softball, strength training, golf, bowling, and fitness theory. At the beginning of the semester, a survey was given via Qualtrics that asked four open-ended questions about the students’ views of LF classes. RESULTS: In response to the first question, “Why did you choose this LF course?”, 30% of the students responded it was to play a fun sport. Other responses included to maintain a healthy lifestyle (15%), to continue to play a sport they played before the LF class (17%), or to learn how to play a new sport (17%). The second question asked, “Why are you taking an LF course?”, and 87% of the students responded it was required. The other 13% responded they took it for fun, or they wanted to take it with a friend. The third question asked, “Why do you think Baylor requires you to take an LF class?”. 86% of the students felt that Baylor requires LF classes for the well-being of students, while 14% were not sure why or believed it was for monetary purposes. The final question asked, “What is your motivation for exercising, both in an LF and outside of class?” To this question, 98% of participants responded saying their motivation was to maintain health or for fun, social reasons. The other 2% responded saying their motivation was a GPA boost. CONCLUSIONS: When asked why students are taking an LF class, the majority of students indicated they did so for reasons from a negative approach. However, when asked about exercise motivation as a whole, the majority of the students indicated reasons for wanting to exercise from a positive approach. The disparity between answers given for these two questions may indicate a motivational distinction between LF classes and exercise in general. Therefore, further research exploring the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations between exercise and LF classes is warranted

Cupping Therapy Does Not Influence Healthy Adult\u27s Hamstring Range of Motion Compared to Control or Sham Conditions

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 216-224, 2020. Cupping therapy, a form of traditional Chinese medicine, has recently gained popularity as a therapeutic modality among sports medicine clinicians. While the use of cupping therapy to decrease musculoskeletal pain is supported by recent research findings, evaluations on the use of cupping therapy to influence range of motion (ROM) are limited. The purpose of the study was to identify if cupping therapy applied passively for 10 minutes increases flexibility compared to sham treatment or control conditions. Twenty-five participants with hamstring ROM less than 80° and no previous cupping therapy experience completed the study. Participants reported to the laboratory on three occasions for one of three randomly assigned treatment conditions (cupping, sham, or control) for 10 minutes while prone. Hamstring flexibility was evaluated three times (pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 10-minutes post-treatment) via ROM measured during an active straight leg raise. Participants returned on two other occasions to receive the remaining treatment conditions. A 3 (treatment condition) x 3 (time) repeated measures analysis of variance was utilized for statistical analysis. There was no interaction between condition and time (p= 0.78). Within-subjects effects for time (p= 0.76) was not significant. Post hoc pairwise comparison of treatment conditions found no differences between control and cupping (p= 0.36), cupping and sham (p= 0.35), or control and sham (p=0.98) conditions. Cupping therapy applied statically for 10 minutes does not increase hamstring flexibility compared to a sham treatment or control condition

Telomere Biology and Human Phenotype

Telomeres are nucleoprotein structures that cap the end of each chromosome arm and function to maintain genome stability. The length of telomeres is known to shorten with each cell division and it is well-established that telomere attrition is related to replicative capacity in vitro. Moreover, telomere loss is also correlated with the process of aging in vivo. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms that lead to telomere shortening and summarise telomere homeostasis in humans throughout a lifetime. In addition, we discuss the available evidence that shows that telomere shortening is related to human aging and the onset of age-related disease

Atlanta Youth Count 2018 Community Report: The Prevalence of Sex and Labor Trafficking Among Homeless Youth in Metro Atlanta

The 2018 Atlanta Youth Count (AYC18) was a follow-up study to the 2015 Atlanta Youth Count and Needs Assessment (AYCNA), expanded in 2018 to specifically address sex and labor trafficking among youth experiencing homelessness in metro Atlanta. The goals of this project were to: 1) provide metro Atlanta service providers, policymakers, and youth advocates with practical information on the size, nature, and needs of the homeless, precariously housed, and runaway youth in our community who are involved in various forms of sex and labor trafficking; 2) collect information that can be used to develop and refine policies, programs, and interventions to help these youth in our community; and 3) encourage a community-wide dialogue about the needs and social determinants of youth homelessness and human trafficking. This study was funded by the National Institute of Justice and was conducted in partnership with local service providers, advocates, researchers, and students. This document is the official public Human Trafficking Report and provides an overview of the study methodology and key findings, including the research team’s official estimates of the prevalence of trafficking among homeless youth in metro Atlanta, as well as a description of key characteristics of the population derived from the survey data collected. Members of the research team are continuing to analyze and use the data to improve the public’s and policymakers’ understanding of youth homelessness and trafficking and to guide community - based efforts to improve services for these young people