Thoron Mitigation from Building Materials with Surface Barriers.

Thoron (Rn) exhalation from building materials has become increasingly recognized as a potential source for radiation exposure in dwellings. However, few studies have focused on mitigation strategies to reduce exposure from thoron and its progeny. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to (1) determine the reduction in thoron exhalation from building materials applied with regularly available surface barriers and (2) investigate the effects from surface roughness of the base material, barrier thickness, and surface cover on the thoron-retaining action of the surface barrier.

In vitro articular cartilage growth with sequential application of IGF-1 and TGF-β1 enhances volumetric growth and maintains compressive properties.

In vitro cultures with insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) have previously been shown to differentially modulate the growth of immature bovine articular cartilage. IGF-1 stimulates expansive growth yet decreases compressive moduli and increases compressive Poisson's ratios, whereas TGF-β1 maintains tissue size, increases compressive moduli, and decreases compressive Poisson's ratios. The current study's hypothesis was that sequential application of IGF-1 and TGF-β1 during in vitro culture produces geometric and compressive mechanical properties that lie between extreme values produced when using either growth factor alone.

[Working with magnification in dental medicine: useful or indispensible?].

In this article, the author describes the different types of magnifying-glasses which can be used in a dental practice. He informs about his own experience in using these glasses in his daily practice.

The use of confidence intervals for individual utilities: limits to formal decision analysis for treatment choice.

This paper discusses the use of confidence intervals for utility measurements. Classic test theory is applied to estimate confidence intervals for utilities. The theory is enhanced to calculate confidence areas for combined utilities and confidence bands for the threshold line.

Patient participation in clinical decision-making for treatment of T3 laryngeal cancer: a comparison of state and process utilities.

Purpose: To study the use of two different approaches, and feasibility of four commonly used utility assessment methods to assess preferences for treatment of T3-laryngeal cancer by surgery or radiation therapy (RT).

Methods: Utility assessment methods, namely, time trade-off (TTO), standard reference gamble (SRG), rating scale (RS), and direct comparison (DC), were used to assess utilities in two groups of former cancer patients (n = 10 for both), a group of clinicians (n = 9), and a group from the general population (n = 10). For the treatment modalities, ie, surgery and RT, two types of scenarios were developed and used: the state scenario, which describes a stable health state after treatment, and the process scenario, which describes a dynamic process.