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Author(s):  
Hallvard Haanes ◽  
Trine Kolstad ◽  
Ingvild Egen Finne ◽  
Bård Olsen

Radon is an important contributor to public radiation dose and it is important to monitor levels in homes and introduce measures to reduce radon concentration levels, both overall and where levels are especially high. In Norway, new building regulations were introduced in 2010, which required balanced ventilation and preventive measures to reduce indoor radon levels, including a radon barrier toward the ground and pressure reducing features beneath the building that prevent soil gas from entering (radon sump). Investigations of randomly selected homes all across Norway have shown that houses built under these new regulations have significantly lower radon levels. However, a few municipalities in Norway are especially radon-prone and have houses with particularly high levels. It is crucial to verify the effect of the new regulations in these municipalities, which we have done in this study. Here, we show that both preventive radon measures and balanced ventilation and the building regulations of 2010 have significant effects on reducing the radon levels in the houses of the public. Noticeably for management, houses with a well-ventilated crawl space, which have been exempt from the required preventive measures, still in some cases have levels above action and maximum recommended levels


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Thomas Clune ◽  
Amy Lockwood ◽  
Serina Hancock ◽  
Andrew N. Thompson ◽  
Sue Beetson ◽  
...  

The contribution of abortions to the overall mortality of lambs born to maiden (primiparous) ewes in Australia remains unclear. This cohort study aimed to quantify abortion and lamb mortality for ewe lambs and maiden Merino two-tooth ewes. Lamb mortality from pregnancy scanning to marking were determined for 19 ewe lamb and 11 Merino two-tooth ewe flocks across southern Australia. Average lamb mortality from scanning to marking was 35.8% (range 14.3–71.1%) for the ewe lambs and 29.4% (range 19.7–52.7%) for the two-tooth ewes. Mid-pregnancy abortion was detected in 5.7% of ewes (range 0–50%) in the ewe lamb flocks and 0.9% of ewes (range 0–4.4%) in the two-tooth ewe flocks. Mid-pregnancy abortion affecting ≥2% of ewes was observed in 6/19 ewe lamb flocks and 2/11 two-tooth ewe flocks. Lamb mortality from birth to marking represented the greatest contributor to foetal and lamb mortality after scanning, but mid-pregnancy abortion was an important contributor to lamb mortality in some ewe lamb flocks. Variability between the flocks indicates scope to improve the overall reproductive performance for maiden ewes by reducing foetal and lamb losses. Addressing mid-pregnancy abortion may improve the reproductive performance in some flocks.


Author(s):  
Octavio Fernández-Amador ◽  
Doris A. Oberdabernig ◽  
Patrick Tomberger

AbstractMethane emissions are the second most important contributor to global warming. Knowledge about the dynamics of methane emissions facilitates the formulation of climate policies and the understanding of their consequences. We investigate whether methane emissions released from production and embodied in consumption converge within and across regions. Our estimates rely on global panel data on methane per capita and methane intensities over 1997–2014. We find that emissions converge within countries. The short half-lives show that the emissions of countries are close to their steady states. There is no evidence for international convergence of aggregate emissions. Yet, convergence of emissions across regions occurs in a number of economic sectors. Our results highlight the difficulties to achieve methane abatement in the medium run. The formulation of climate policies should take into account the sectoral specificity of the dynamics of methane emissions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 096366252110615
Author(s):  
Bastiaan T. Rutjens ◽  
Natalia Zarzeczna ◽  
Romy van der Lee

Recent research has identified spirituality as an important contributor to vaccine scepticism and low faith in science, particularly in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) nations. In the present study, we further tested the generalizability of these findings in a religious South-Eastern European country – Greece, with more extensive measures of key constructs. We replicate previous work using measures of improved construct validity. Spirituality was found to be the strongest predictor of vaccine scepticism and low faith in science. In addition, low science literacy was also predictive of vaccine rejection. Climate change scepticism was not associated with spirituality but with political conservatism, which corroborates previous findings. These results provide further evidence for two previously made observations: science scepticism is heterogeneous, and spirituality is an important factor in shaping science rejection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine C. Whitehouse ◽  
Rebecca Blaylock ◽  
Shelly Makleff ◽  
Patricia A. Lohr

Abstract Background Quality of care (QOC) is increasingly identified as an important contributor to healthcare outcomes, however little agreement exists on what constitutes quality in abortion care or the recommended indicators from the service-user perspective. Our study aimed to explore perceptions and experiences of abortion QOC in England and Wales. Methods We performed in-depth interviews (via phone or in-person) with participants who had an abortion at a nationwide independent sector provider in the previous 6 months. We explored their experiences of the abortion service at each point in the care pathway, their perspectives on what contributed to and detracted from the experience meeting their definitions of quality, and their reflections on different aspects of QOC. We used content analysis to generate themes. Results From December 2018 to July 2019, we conducted 24 interviews. Ten participants had a surgical and 14 had a medical abortion. Seventeen (71%) were treated in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and 7 (29%) beyond that, with an average gestational age of 10 weeks + 5 days (range 5–23 + 6). We identified 4 major themes that contributed to participant’s perception of high quality care: (1) interpersonal interactions with staff or other patients, (2) being informed and prepared, (3) participation and choices in care and (4) accessibility. Nearly all participants identified interpersonal interactions with staff as an important contributor to quality with positive interactions often cited as the best part of their abortion experience and negative interactions as the worst. For information and preparation, participant described not only the importance of being well prepared, but how incongruencies between information and the actual experience detracted from quality. Participants said that making choices about their care, for example, method of abortion, was a positive contributor. Finally, participants identified access to care, specifically in relation to waiting times and travel, as an important aspect of QOC. Conclusions Participants situated quality in abortion care in 4 domains: interpersonal aspects of care, information and preparation, choices, and accessibility. Indicators identified can be used to develop standard metrics to ensure care meets service-user needs.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1353
Author(s):  
Andrzej Grzybowski ◽  
Maciej Żaczek ◽  
Andrzej Górski ◽  
Beata Weber-Dąbrowska ◽  
Ryszard Międzybrodzki

Bronisława Brandla Fejgin was a Polish-born Jewish female physician. Among Fejgin’s numerous articles in the field of microbiology, her later work was almost entirely devoted to phage research. Although not equally famous as the phage pioneers from Western Europe, F.W. Twort and F. d’Herelle, Fejgin’s contribution to phage research deserves proper recognition. Her studies on phages resulted in the publication of numerous original scientific reports. These articles, published mostly in French, constitute an important source of information and expertise on early attempts towards therapeutic use of phages in humans. The interwar period marks the most intense years in Bronisława Fejgin’s research activity, brutally interrupted by her death in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1943. Her microbiology contributions have not been analyzed so far. Thus, the aim of this article is to fill the existing gap in the history of microbiology and phage therapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozcan BASARAN ◽  
Angela DEI GIUDICI ◽  
Massimo FEDERICI ◽  
Francesco VERSACI

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Clune ◽  
Amy Lockwood ◽  
Serina Hancock ◽  
Andrew Thompson ◽  
Mieghan Bruce ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Toxoplasma gondii causes reproductive losses in sheep worldwide, including Australia. The reproductive performance of primiparous ewes is typically lower than for mature multiparous ewes, and younger ewes are more likely to be immunologically naïve and therefore more susceptible to reproductive disease if T. gondii infection occurs during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of infection with T. gondii on the reproductive performance of primiparous ewes in southern Australia using a prospective cohort study. This will inform the need for targeted control strategies for T. gondii in Australian sheep. Results Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity using indirect ELISA was detected at 16/28 farms located across southern Australia. Apparent seroprevalence was lower in primiparous ewes (1.1%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.6, 1.8) compared to mature multiparous ewes (8.1%, 95% CI 6.0, 10.5; P < 0.001). Toxoplasma gondii seroconversion during the gestation and lambing period was confirmed for 11/1097 (1.0%, 95% CI 0.5, 1.7) of pregnant primiparous ewes that failed to raise a lamb, and 1/161 (0.6%, 95% CI 0.1, 2.9) primiparous ewes with confirmed abortion. Toxoplasma gondii was not detected using qPCR in tissue samples from aborted or stillborn lambs (n = 35) from a subset of six farms. Conclusions Low seroprevalence and low incidence of seroconversion during gestation suggests that toxoplasmosis was not an important contributor to reproductive losses in primiparous ewes on farms located over a wide geographical area in southern Australia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Yin Li ◽  
Zixin Sha ◽  
Hui Peng

Metabolic reprogramming originally referred to the ability of cancer cells to metabolically adapt to changes in environmental conditions to meet both energy consumption and proliferation requirements. According to recent studies, renal cells are also capable of reprogramming their metabolism after kidney injury, and these cells undergo different kinds of metabolic reprogramming in different kidney diseases. Metabolic reprogramming also plays a role in the progression and prognosis of kidney diseases. Therefore, metabolic reprogramming is not only a prominent feature but also an important contributor to the pathophysiology of kidney diseases. Here, we briefly review kidney diseases and metabolic reprogramming and discuss new ways to treat kidney diseases.


Societies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Paul Scriven

Media reports suggest that the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons saw its biggest year to date in 2020, with many such reports touting the interactive and social benefits for people facing COVID-19 lockdowns. This paper explores the reported challenges and benefits of playing D&D through teleconferencing hardware and software, and the experience of using virtual tabletops. A thematic analysis of a sample of Reddit threads discussing player experiences of transitioning D&D to remote play during COVID-19 social distancing was undertaken. The findings highlight a variety of player attitudes and preferences towards playing D&D remotely. The data suggest a mostly negative sentiment towards playing D&D online for groups that had transitioned from in-person to remote play. Loss of in-person socialisation was identified as an important contributor to a poor play experience, but groups would persevere with remote play to maintain social relationships, suggesting that, for many players, D&D serves an important social function beyond mere play. Some avenues for future research are identified.


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