Modelling soil - Vegetation - Atmospheric interactions of radon products in a Belgian Scots pine forest site.

A soil-vegetation-atmospheric transfer (SVAT) model for radon and its progeny is presented to improve process-level understanding of the role of forests in taking-up radionuclides from soil radon outgassing. A dynamic system of differential equations couples soil, tree (Scots pine) and atmospheric processes, treating the trees as sources, sinks and conduits between the atmosphere and the soil. The model's compartments include a dual-layer soil column undergoing hydrological and solute transport, the tree system (comprising roots, wood, litter, and foliage) and the atmosphere, with physical processes governing the transfers of water and radon products between these compartments.

Regulation of abscisic acid receptor mRNA stability: involvement of microRNA5628 in PYL6 transcript decay.

Phytohormone signaling is fine-tuned by regulatory feedback loops. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays key roles in plant development and abiotic stress tolerance. PYRABACTIN RESISTENCE 1/PYR1-LIKE/REGULATORY COMPONENT OF ABA RECEPTOR (PYR/PYL/RCAR) receptors sense ABA, and in turn, ABA represses their expression.

Novel radionuclides: demand, production and distribution for translational research in Europe.

Background: In the field of medical and scientific research, radionuclides are used to investigate various physiological and pathological processes. PRISMAP - the European medical radionuclide programme was created to bring together production facilities including intense neutron sources, an isotope mass separation facility, high-power accelerators, biomedical research institutes, and hospitals to support medical research. The aim of this article is to introduce readers with the current status of innovative radionuclides in Europe.

Comparison of calibration results for α, β surface contamination monitors.

Surface contamination monitors are used intensively in many facilities, like in the nuclear medicine departments for clearance measurements and decontamination and in decommissioning of nuclear installations. For a reliable use, all surface contamination monitors should have a valid calibration with traceability to the international standards. A comparison exercise for calibrations in terms of efficiency in 2π steradian for surface contamination monitors was organized between five dosimetry calibration laboratories, members of EURAMET (The European Association of National Metrology Institutes).

Iodine transfer to dairy cow's milk: A revised biokinetic model.

A new biokinetic model for iodine in dairy cows was developed utilizing data from a 4 × 4 factorial feeding experiment with rumen-cannulated cows that were fed rapeseed cake containing substances known to influence iodine metabolism, and soybean meal without such effects. I was administered both intravenously and intra-ruminally to document metabolism pathways. The new model included compartments such as saliva and thyroid gland, often ignored in other models, and in contrast to previously available biokinetic models, it fitted well to our experimental data.

Isolation and characterization of a novel methanogen Methanosarcina hadiensis sp. nov. from subsurface Boom Clay pore water.

Safe geological disposal of radioactive waste requires a thorough understanding of geochemical conditions in the host formation. Boom Clay is a potential candidate in Belgium, where active methanogenesis has been detected in its deep subsurface, influencing the local geochemistry. However, the pathways driving this process and the characteristics of the methanogenic archaea involved remain unclear.

Comparing the effectiveness of different DNA extraction methods in MX-80 bentonite.

Approaches to DNA extraction play a crucial role in determining the variability of results obtained through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Particularly, clay-rich samples can impede the efficiency of various standard cultivation-independent techniques. We conducted an inter-laboratory comparison study to thoroughly assess the efficacy of two published DNA extraction methods (kit-based and phenol-chloroform-based) specifically designed for bentonite samples.

Numerical modelling for the distribution of Cs and I in the scheldt basin after a potential nuclear accident.

Using the discontinuous Galerkin method in the SLIM modelling framework, we study the transport in the Scheldt basin and adjacent coastal area of radionuclides possibly emitted by Doel nuclear power plant in the aftermath of an accident. The contamination pathways taken into consideration are direct liquid releases into the water and deposition via the atmosphere. In past nuclear accidents, several radionuclides were released, among which, I and Cs were considered herein.

The Formation of Stable Lung Tumor Spheroids during Random Positioning Involves Increased Estrogen Sensitivity.

The formation of tumor spheroids on the random positioning machine (RPM) is a complex and important process, as it enables the study of metastasis ex vivo. However, this process is not yet understood in detail. In this study, we compared the RPM-induced spheroid formation of two cell types of lung carcinoma (NCI-H1703 squamous cell carcinoma cells and Calu-3 adenocarcinoma cells).

Targeted radiopharmaceuticals: an underexplored strategy for ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the most common gynecological malignancy worldwide with the highest mortality. This low survival rate can be attributed to the fact that symptoms arise only at an advanced disease stage, characterized by a (micro)metastatic spread across the peritoneal cavity. Radiopharmaceuticals, composed of a targeting moiety coupled with either a diagnostic or therapeutic radionuclide, constitute a relatively underexplored theranostic approach that may improve the current standard of care.

Recent advances in immobilization of radioactive cesium and strontium-bearing wastes in alkali activated materials - A review.

This review discusses recent advances in the use of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) to host high heat and radiation-emitting cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) wastes. It examines the evolution of geopolymerization, mechanical properties, mineralogy, microstructure, and leaching behavior of Cs-and/or Sr-bearing AAMs, considering their chemical interaction with Cs and Sr nuclides and exposure to temperature and gamma radiation induced by Cs and Sr. The literature indicates that Cs and Sr slightly degrade the mechanical properties of AAMs, with Sr having a more pronounced effect.

Bayesian inference of coupled groundwater flow and radiogenic helium-4 production and transport at the catchment scale.

Hydrogeological numerical models are essential for assessing radioactive waste disposal by understanding groundwater flow systems. These models typically rely on hydraulic head data, with other state variables often underutilized in model inversions. In Flanders' Neogene aquifer, where safety studies for Boom Clay are ongoing, existing models face uncertainties due to dependence on hydraulic heads alone.

Evaluation of deep space exploration risks and mitigations against radiation and microgravity.

Ionizing radiation and microgravity are two considerable health risks encountered during deep space exploration. Both have deleterious effects on the human body. On one hand, weightlessness is known to induce a weakening of the immune system, delayed wound healing and musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and sensorimotor deconditioning.

From crop left-overs to nutrient resource: growth-stimulating potential of biochar in nutrient solutions for wheat soilless cultivation systems.

To reach the estimated food demands for 2050 in decreasingly suiting climates, current agricultural techniques have to be complemented by sustainably intensified practices. The current study repurposed wheat crop residues into biochar, and investigated its potential in different plant cultivation systems, including a hydroponic cultivation of wheat. Biochars resulting from varying pyrolysis parameters including feedstock composition (straw and chaff) and temperature (450°C and 600°C), were tested using a fast plant screening method.

The genus contains only two species both unable to produce microcystins: and comb. nov.

Spirulina is the commercial name for edible cyanobacteria of the genus . The taxonomy of this genus is confusing with four species distributed in two lineages. Furthermore, the species has been cited as toxic by potentially producing microcystins.

Effects of simulated space conditions on CD4+ T cells: a multi modal analysis.

Introduction: The immune system is an intricate network of cellular components that safeguards against pathogens and aberrant cells, with CD4+ T cells playing a central role in this process. Human space travel presents unique health challenges, such as heavy ion ionizing radiation, microgravity, and psychological stress, which can collectively impede immune function. The aim of this research was to examine the consequences of simulated space stressors on CD4+ T cell activation, cytokine production, and gene expression.

Fluorescence and electron transfer of Limnospira indica functionalized biophotoelectrodes.

Cyanobacteria play a crucial role in global carbon and nitrogen cycles through photosynthesis, making them valuable subjects for understanding the factors influencing their light utilization efficiency. Photosynthetic microorganisms offer a promising avenue for sustainable energy conversion in the field of photovoltaics. It was demonstrated before that application of an external electric field to the microbial biofilm or cell improves electron transfer kinetics and, consequently, efficiency of power generation.

Conditioned Medium From Reactive Astrocytes Inhibits Proliferation, Resistance, and Migration of p53-Mutant Glioblastoma Spheroid Through GLI-1 Downregulation.

Glioblastoma (GBM) aggressiveness is partly driven by the reactivation of signaling pathways such as Sonic hedgehog (SHH) and the interaction with its microenvironment. SHH pathway activation is one of the phenomena behind the glial transformation in response to tumor growth. The reactivation of the SHH signaling cascade during GBM-astrocyte interaction is highly relevant to understanding the mechanisms used by the tumor to modulate the adjacent stroma.

Electric Polarization-Dependent Absorption and Photocurrent Generation in Immobilized on Boron-Doped Diamond.

We present the change of light absorption of cyanobacteria in response to externally applied electrical polarization. Specifically, we studied the relation between electrical polarization and changes in light absorbance for a biophotoelectrode assembly comprising boron-doped diamond as semiconducting electrode and live PCC 8005 trichomes embedded in either polysaccharide (agar) or conductive conjugated polymer (PEDOT-PSS) matrices. Our study involves the monitoring of cyanobacterial absorbance and the measurement of photocurrents at varying wavelengths of illumination for switched electric fields, i.

Viromic and Metagenomic Analyses of Commercial Spirulina Fermentations Reveal Remarkable Microbial Diversity.

Commercially produced cyanobacteria preparations sold under the name spirulina are widely consumed, due to their traditional use as a nutrient-rich foodstuff and subsequent marketing as a superfood. Despite their popularity, the microbial composition of ponds used to cultivate these bacteria is understudied. A total of 19 pond samples were obtained from small-scale spirulina farms and subjected to metagenome and/or virome sequencing, and the results were analysed.