Indoor air quality may be compromised by elevated radon levels, a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Prolonged exposure to increased radon levels can adversely affect human health. This paper presents the results of indoor radon activity concentration measurements conducted at 20 locations using a passive method. CR-39-based radon detectors were deployed over three different exposure periods, from January to April. The aim of the study was to compare and analyse average indoor radon activity concentrations obtained over different detector exposure periods, and to determine whether reliable information on indoor air quality can be obtained using shorter exposure durations. The measured indoor radon activity concentrations ranged from 6.0 to 727 Bq/m 3 , 10.1 to 561 Bq/m 3 , and 15.1 to 480 Bq/m 3 for the three-month, two-month, and one-month exposure periods, respectively. Comparative analysis of the results showed that the mean ratio of radon activity concentrations for one-month to two-month, two-month to three-month, and one-month to two-month exposure periods were 1.24, 1.57, and 1.85, respectively. To establish the relationship between radon activity concentrations obtained for different exposure periods, linear regression analysis was performed. The analysis of the estimated relative percentage differences showed that the results for different exposure periods agreed within ±20% at approximately 53% of the locations.

Very thin ZnO films were fabricated on p-type Si (100) substrates using two different solvents, methanol (M) and 2-methoxyethanol (2M), via a simple spin-coating method. Five-layer ZnO films were characterized structurally using X-ray diffraction (XRD), with detailed analysis performed using the Williamson–Hall (W-H) method. Surface morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), while ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy provided optical properties, including the optical band gap determined via the Kubelka–Munk theory. The crystallite sizes calculated from W-H models were larger than those estimated by the Debye–Scherrer method, indicating that peak broadening is influenced by both crystallite size and lattice strain. Strain, stress, and deformation energy density values, derived from the Uniform Deformation Model (UDM), Uniform Stress Deformation Model (USDM), and Uniform Deformation Energy Density Model (UDEDM), respectively, were higher in films prepared with 2-methoxyethanol than methanol. ZnO films from 2-methoxyethanol exhibited greater homogeneity and lower surface roughness, while their optical band gap (~3.3 eV) was slightly higher than that of methanol-derived films (~3.02 eV) but still below bulk ZnO (3.37 eV). These results show that ZnO thin films prepared with 2-methoxyethanol exhibit superior microstructural, mechanical, and optical properties, producing smoother and more uniform films with enhanced optical characteristics, and are therefore more commonly preferred for optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications due to their improved crystallinity, low surface roughness, and suitable band gap.  

ABSTRACT In this paper, the results of indoor radon level measurements in thirteen single-family houses, on different floors, are presented. The measurement was performed using the AlphaE radon metre device, and in each house, the measurements lasted six days, on average. The mean values of the radon activity concentration were in the range of 32.32–525.65 and 18.41–185.25 Bq m−3 for the ground floor and first floor rooms, respectively. The results of the statistical analyses on the variation of the radon level have shown that in nine houses (69 %), there is a significant difference in radon levels, with higher levels on the ground floor compared to the first floor. The variations of the radon levels during the night and daytime hours were also statistically analysed.

The main aim of this study is to measure the indoor gamma and beta radiation dose rates in the areas of Banovici and Zivinice, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and their dependence on meteorological parameters (temperature, pressure, and air humidity). During the research, emphasis was placed on measuring doses in private residential buildings. Using the Gamma-Scout device, gamma and beta radiation dose rates were measured inside the residential buildings. Annual effective doses were estimated, as well as the excess lifetime cancer risk resulting from gamma and beta radiation. The average estimated annual effective dose of gamma radiation in the Banovici and Zivinice areas was 1.09 ? 0.20 mSv, and also for gamma + beta radiation, it was 1.14 ? 0.19 mSv. The excess lifetime cancer risk due to exposure to gamma radiation indoors was estimated to be (4.25 ? 0.77)?10-3, while this risk from exposure to gamma + beta radiation was estimated to be (4.47 ? 0.75)?10-3.

Introduction: Statins are lipid lowering medications, used for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but have shown to increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of high-potency statins, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin on fasting glucose (FG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in CVD patients. Methods: The case–control study included 123 patients from Tuzla Canton, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, with a diagnosis of CVD, treated in three health centers: Public Health Center Gračanica, Banovići, and Čelić. Of total patients, 84 were statin users (39 atorvastatin users and 45 rosuvastatin users) and 39 were not. Demographic data, diagnosis, and data of the therapy were taken from the medical records, as well as data of the FG and HbA1c, measured before or within 3 months of the statin therapy introduction. For the same patients, FG and HbA1c were also measured at least 3 months after the introduction of therapy. Results: Obtained results have shown a significant increase of FG in CVD patients on statin therapy in relation to control (p = 0.034). Comparing the diabetogenic effects of atrovastatin and rosuvastatin, it was found that the HbA1c in patients on atorvastatin therapy was significantly higher comparing to those on rosuvastatain therapy (p = 0.028). The FG was significantly increased (p = 0.027) after atrovastatin therapy. Similar results were obtained in diabetogenic CVD patients, where HbA1c on atorvastatin therapy was significantly higher comparing to HbA1c in those on rosuvastatain therapy (p = 0.039). A significant correlation was found between the increase in FG and HbA1c with the duration of atorvastatin therapy (p = 0.001 and p = 0.033), and between the increase in HbA1c and the duration of rosuvastatin therapy (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Long-term therapy with high-potency statins, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin, may increase levels of FG and HbA1c in patients with CVD, where atorvastatin shows more significant effects.

This study deals with the unfolded quantities based on the time intervals between successive neutron events from the aspect of the power law. Neutrons from spontaneous fission in special nuclear material induce fission in most cases. In this study, it was demonstrated that the inverse value of the number of induced neutrons decreases following a power function with the increasing radius of a plutonium metal sphere. In addition, it was considered an increase in the neutron background level with increasing altitudes. The inverse value of the mean neutron counting rate depending on altitudes can be described with a power function merely for higher elevations. A linear relationship was obtained by plotting the quantities on logarithmic axes against each other indicating generally a power law relationship for both investigated phenomena. The results of this study showed a connection between two seemingly unrelated neutron phenomena through power laws based on the distributions of time intervals between successive neutron counts. The empirical evidence implies that a connection between the observed quantities in a log-log plot is unchanged except for a multiplicative constant.