Centenarians in Tuscany: The role of the environmental factors.

Statistical data of Italy, issued on 1st January 2005, show that Tuscany has a high percentage of elderly subjects, and that to reach 100 years is a common possibility, mainly for women. Comparable values appear for longevity index (LI%), either calculated on the basis of the various resorts above sea level, or on the basis of the number of inhabitants. However, some differences are observed considering the various provinces: Grosseto Province has the second higher value of >65-year-old subjects, while its LI% is the lowest. Centenarity index (CI%) considerably differs from LI%: if ranking Tuscany according to the various heights of territorial positions, the first displays a negative, while the second one shows a positive correlation with the local height. If comparing for inhabitants number, CI% is maximal in provincial cities, while LI% is higher in smaller communities. All these data indicate that residents in small communities of the mountains reach easily 90 years, while 100 years are more frequently reached in larger cities in the plane areas. In conclusion, the highest province longevity (Lucca) coincides with the highest centenarian sex ratio, and it suggests that in this province the older women may enjoy particular forms of environmental protection, which helps them for reaching 100 years of age. Differences between the results of this study and others performed in Sardinia are discussed.

[Atmospheric radiations. Effects of potassium-inhibitory and potassium-retentive hormones on two types of infective agent]. / Radiazioni atmosferiche. Effetti degli ormoni potassio inhibitori e potassio ritentivi su due tipi di agenti infettivi.

The glucocorticoids and the estrogens facilitate the loss of potassium from the cells (iK+ hormones). The thyroid hormones, the androgens, the growth hormone and the insulin facilitate the penetration of potassium into the cells (rK+ hormones). The incretion of iK+ hormones follows the course of the intensity of the atmospheric radiations (atmospheric electric field, terrestrial magnetic field), that is it grows or diminishes according to the increase or decrease of the intensity of said radiations, while the incretion of rK+ hormones has an opposite course in comparison with the variations of said intensity. The iK+ hormones cause loss of iodine, decrease of eosinophils, of RNA and antibodies, while the rK+ hormones cause opposite effects. High temperatures produce an increase of iK+ hormones and low temperatures an increase of rK+ hormones. The study of the effects of atmospheric radiations on infectious diseases has shown the existence of two kind of infectious agents: the iK+ agents and the rK+ agents on which the hormones iK+ and rK+ have an effect. The hormones iK+ work jointly with iK+ agents (virus RNA, bacteria Gram-negative) and counteract the rK+ agents (virus DNA, bacteria Gram-positive, protozoa). The rK+ hormones have opposite effects in comparison to those of iK+ hormones, that is they counteract the iK+ agents and work jointly with the rK+ agents.