Physics, Statistics and Radioprotection

Preliminary tools
∙ Fundamental and derived quantities, International System
∙ Multiples and submultiples, scientific notation and significant figures
∙ Estimates of orders of magnitude
∙ Scalar and vector quantities
∙ Vector operations
Mechanics
∙ Uniform straigth motion, uniformly accelerated motion
∙ Principles of dynamics
∙ Forces: gravitational, weight, constraint reaction, friction, elastic
∙ Motion on an inclined plane, 2D motion
∙ Work of a force
∙ Kinetic energy theorem
∙ Conservative forces, potential energy
∙ Conservation of mechanical energy
∙ Dissipative forces
∙ Types of deformation
∙ Stress-strain curves, Young modulus
∙ States of matter
Fluids
∙ Pressure
∙ Stevin's law
∙ Archimedes force
∙ Flow rate
∙ Hydrodynamic focusing (flow cytometry)
∙ Bernoulli's theorem
∙ Viscosity
∙ Poiseuille's equation
∙ Viscous friction and terminal velocity
∙ Centrifugation, electrophoresis
∙ Surface tension
∙ Contact angle
∙ Capillarity
∙ Laplace's law
Termodynamics
∙ Ideal gas
∙ Absolute temperature
∙ Equation of state for perfect gases
∙ Working principle and calibration of a micropipette
∙ Osmotic pressure
∙ Real gases
∙ Principles of thermodynamics
∙ Latent and specific heat
∙ Conduction, convection and irradiation
∙ Human metabolism
Elettromagnetism and optics
∙ Electric charge
∙ Coulomb's force and electric field
∙ Electric potential
∙ Conducting and insulating materials
∙ Electric current
∙ Electric resistance
∙ Joule effect
∙ Magnetic field
∙ Propagation of electromagnetic waves
∙ Wavelength and frequency
∙ Absorbance and DNA/protein dosage
∙ Fluorescence
∙ Light scattering
∙ Flow citometry
∙ Geometric optics: reflection and refraction
∙ Refractive index
∙ Dispersion
∙ Optical biosensors
∙ Lenses and image formation
∙ Resolution limit in an optical system
∙ Optical microscope

Reliability of a measure
∙ Reliability and its components
∙ Systematic error and casual error
Variability
∙ Between-subjects and within-subjects variability
Descriptive statistics
∙ Graphs
∙ Location, scale, and shape of a frequency distribution
∙ Measures of location and scale
∙ Accuracy and precision of a measure
∙ Quantiles and reference limits
∙ Correlation and Kappa statistic
Gaussian model
∙ Probability of events on the population within the Gaussian model
∙ How to model the error with a Gaussian model
Inference
∙ Sampling variability
∙ Population and sample
∙ Estimate of a population parameter with sampling quantities
Sampling distribution
∙ The central limit theorem and the distribution of a sampling quantity
∙ Standard error
Confidence interval
∙ Definition and meaning
∙ Formulas
Hypothesis testing
∙ First type and second type errors and power of a test
∙ Sample size calculation
∙ Clinical statistics and clinical relevance
∙ Hypothesis testing on a population mean
Deterministic and probabilistic models
∙ Deterministic and probabilistic models: differences
∙ Simple linear regression model: interpretation and parameters
∙ Hypothesis testing on the parameters of a simple linear regression model

Physical bases
∙ Structure of the atom
∙ Classification of nuclides
∙ Definition of radiation
∙ Electromagnetic radiation
∙ Wave length and frequency
∙ Photons
∙ The electromagnetic spectrum
∙ X and γ rays
∙ Use, production and detection of the electromagnetic spectrum
∙ The corpuscular radiation
∙ Ionizing radiation
∙ Characteristic X-rays
∙ Bremsstrahlung X-rays
∙ X-ray production in diagnostics
∙ Spectrum of an X-ray tube
∙ X-rays: production in radiotherapy
∙ Nuclear stability and radioactivity
∙ Radioactive decay
∙ The law of radioactive decay
∙ Average life and half-life
∙ Activities
∙ Alpha, beta-, beta +, gamma decay
∙ Electronic capture decay
∙ The various types of radiation in the interaction with matter
∙ Interaction of alpha and beta charged particles
∙ Collision
∙ Bremsstrahlung
∙ Interaction of alpha particles
∙ Bragg curve
∙ Interaction of beta particles
∙ Positron-matter interaction: annichilation
∙ Interaction of beta particles
∙ Photoelectric effect, compton, pair creation
∙ Attenuation of a beam of x and gamma radiation
∙ Attenuation law
∙ Detection system
∙ Dose equivalent to an organ
∙ Effective dose to the whole body
∙ Non-ionizing radiation: application examples
∙ MRI, laser, ultrasound
Radioprotection in the sanitary environment
∙ D.lgs.187 / 2000
∙ Principle ALARA
∙ Principle of justification
∙ Optimization process
∙ Reference diagnostic levels
∙ Equipment acceptability criteria
∙ Protection during pregnancy and lactation
∙ Main exclusive responsibilities of the operator
∙ Responsibility of the RIR
∙ Responsibility of the medical specialist
∙ Expert responsibility in medical physics
∙ Purpose of radiation protection
∙ Dose limits for members of the public
∙ Classification criteria for workers
∙ Exposed workers in categories A and B
∙ Dose limits for exposed workers
∙ Physical and medical surveillance
∙ Classification of areas
∙ Internal and external exposure
∙ Sources of risk in radiological activities
∙ Personal protective equipment
∙ Safety in radiological activity
∙ Traditional radiographic procedures for radiation protection standards
∙ Dental radiology radiation protection standards
∙ Mammography radioprotection standards
∙ TAC radiation protection standards
∙ Radioscopy and interventional radiology radiation protection standards
∙ Sources of risk in radiotherapy radiation protection standards
∙ Sources of risk in brachytherapy radiation protection standards
∙ Sources of risk with unsealed radioactive substances
∙ In vitro diagnostic procedures
∙ General planning principles
∙ Radioactive waste
Radiobiology
∙ Study of the action and effects of ionizing radiation on biological structures
∙ Experimental techniques of radiobiology
∙ Sequences of events of radiobiological interest
∙ Radiation cell damage
Imaging diagnostic techniques
Physical and biological bases of nuclear medicine