FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF INDOOR RADON IN DWELLINGS IN ALBANIA.

The realisation of the geographical distribution of the indoor radon concentrations in dwellings represents a valuable tool necessary for assessing the public exposure. In this work are reported the results of the indoor radon obtained in the first stage of the survey involving 247 measurements. From the preliminary information on ∼10 % of the territory, covering the biggest cities in Albania results on indoor radon concentrations ranging from 14 to 1238 Bq m-3 with an arithmetic mean of 120±67 Bq m-3 The population-weighted average indoor radon concentration was calculated to be 101 Bq m-3 The adopted survey strategy highlighted the necessity for the future stages to spread the measurements in order to cover the entire territory of Albania, instead of remaining focused only on the demographic criteria.

A century of oil and gas exploration in Albania: assessment of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs).

The Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORMs) that are potentially generated from oil and gas extractions in Albania have been disposed of without regulations for many decades, and therefore, an extensive survey in one of the most productive regions (Vlora-Elbasan) was performed. A total of 52 gamma ray spectrometry measurements of soil, oil-sand, sludge, produced water and crude oil samples were performed. We discovered that relatively low activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (228)Ra, (228)Th and (40)K, with concentrations of 23±2Bq/kg, 23±2Bq/kg, 24±3Bq/kg and 549±12Bq/kg, respectively, came from the oil-sands produced by the hydrocarbon extraction of the molasses formations. The mineralogical characterizations and the (228)Ra/(40)K and (226)Ra/(40)K ratios of these Neogene deposits confirmed the predictions of the geological and geodynamic models of a dismantling of the Mesozoic source rocks. The average activity concentrations (±standard deviations) of the radium isotopes ((226)Ra and (228)Ra) and of the (228)Th and (40)K radionuclides in soil samples were 20±5Bq/kg, 25±10Bq/kg, 25±9Bq/kg and 326±83Bq/kg, respectively. Based on the measurements in this study, the future radiological assessments of other fields in the region should be strategically planned to focus on the oil-sands from the molasses sediments. Disequilibrium in the (228)Ra decay segment was not observed in the soil, sludge or oil-sand samples within the standard uncertainties. After a detailed radiological characterization of the four primary oil fields, we concluded that the outdoor absorbed dose rate never exceeded the worldwide population weighted average absorbed dose rate in outdoor air from terrestrial gamma radiation.

[Use of hyaluronic acid in the therapy of varicose ulcers of the lower limbs]. / L'uso dell'acido ialuronico nella terapia delle ulcere varicose degli arti inferiori.

Hyaluronic acid used in the management of ulcers due to chronic venous insufficiency and post-phlebitis syndromes (27 cases) proved to possess an anti-inflammatory and anti-exudative action. It also stimulated regeneration and hence epithelialisation. Comparison of healing times in this series and 35 patients who did not receive hyaluronic acid showed that this drug, in association with other remedies, serves to bring about much quicker healing.

[Carcinoma of the pancreatic body and tail]. / Il carcinoma del corpo-coda pancreatico.

Carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas still remains the disease form with the worst prognosis and evolution. In spite of a huge improvement in diagnostic methods, anaesthetic and surgical procedures and pre- and postoperative assistance, the results in terms of early diagnosis and long-term survival have been generally disappointing. The authors describe their own experience regarding three such tumours treated in five years, analysing the literature data, and referring to the current guidelines in diagnostics and surgical therapy. They then go on to propose a step-by-step approach to the management of these patients. The difficulty of obtaining an early diagnosis of the disease which derives from many factors, such as unspecific and late appearing symptoms, is stressed. They conclude by confirming the need to perform a radical resection, if possible, which, together with a combination of radio- and chemotherapy, is the only procedure capable of holding out some hope of a cure.

[Solitary perforated diverticulum of the cecum: a case report]. / Il diverticolo perforato del cieco: contributo clinico.

The Authors report a case of acute abdomen caused by a perforated solitary diverticulum of the cecum recently treated. This is a rare disease that usually is diagnosed, in the surgical theatre because it is a topic of emergency surgery. From Literature analysis it is obvious that a correct preoperative diagnosis is difficult to make because of the large number of possible abdominal pathologies with similar symptoms. Also the therapeutic approach is so extremely variable that the operation could range from a simple conservative type to right hemicolectomy. A proper approach will be conservative with a simple diverticulectomy when the inflammatory reaction is localized in the colonic wall while a right colectomy could be performed when the inflammatory reaction is more advanced or a large mass suggestive of a carcinoma is present.