Mafia?

["Harry Hinks" <harryhinks@hotmail.com>]

I am not in any mafia and not a strong believer in this linear theory.  I 
just asked if anyone knew of any studies showing alpha particle exposure to 
the lung is beneficial and if so how does it help?  I didn't realize one 
would fall from favour in the listserv and be accused of being in the mafia 
for looking for answers.  I was trying to figure out a recent newspaper 
article I read that people who sit in radon water feel better. I could sure 
use some help for my knees.

I can't figure out where Mr. Seiller is coming from.  Is Seiller in 
epidemiology or physics or what?  And what is this mafia all about?

I am trying to understand what Seiller said, but it doesn't make sense.  
Seiller said, Against Bernie's measurements there are a number of papers 
with arguments using non-numerical claims of confounding factors resulting 
in the "Ecological Fallacy". According to the Mafia, that fallacy makes the 
data useless for risk assessment purposes.

On September 22 Cohen said -

I have always stated that my study cannot be used directly to determine the 
dose vs risk to an individual, because that falls into the trap of the 
ecological fallacy - unless the linear-no threshold theory (LNT) is
assumed to be valid.

Seiler and Cohen are saying different things, right?  How can you tell who 
is in this mafia?

Seiler said,

By demonstrating that the use of the raw Cohen data is appropriate,
we have also demonstrated  that the dose-effect model for human exposure to 
radon and its daughters is U-shaped and is thus NONLINEAR. Also, and
contrary to Mafia claims, all the hormetic looking data in the
voluminous collections of such data can now be used as such, if the
Assumption of Equivalent Populations (definition given in paper) can be
made.

I would like to hear more about this assumption and fallacy. How can this 
equivalent population assumption can be made?  Cohen said there were large 
differences in smoking prevalences among U.S. counties. How can this 
equivalent assumption be true?

If anyone can explain this to me, please email directly.  I am getting off 
this list.

Thanks - Harry Hinks
harryhinks@hotmail.com

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