Whole transcriptome analysis highlights nutrient limitation of nitrogen cycle bacteria in simulated microgravity.

Regenerative life support systems (RLSS) will play a vital role in achieving self-sufficiency during long-distance space travel. Urine conversion into a liquid nitrate-based fertilizer is a key process in most RLSS. This study describes the effects of simulated microgravity (SMG) on Comamonas testosteroni, Nitrosomonas europaea, Nitrobacter winogradskyi and a tripartite culture of the three, in the context of nitrogen recovery for the Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (MELiSSA).

Impact of medical radionuclide discharges on people and the environment.

We present a novel methodology to dynamically calculate dose rates to people and wildlife from hospital-released radionuclides reaching the environment through water treatment plants (WTPs), using the biokinetic model D-DAT for aquatic wildlife, applied to F, I, I, Sm, Tc and Tl. We have also developed a method to calculate doses to WTP workers and to farmers from agricultural practices. This proof-of-concept study simulates a generic source term of radionuclide levels in the Belgian Molse Nete River during the year 2018, chosen because the river flow was very low during that year, which constitutes a very conservative, bounding case.

exposure to ionizing radiation and metabolic regulation: perspectives for future multi- and trans-generation effects studies.

Purpose: The radiation protection community has been particularly attentive to the risks of delayed effects on offspring from low dose or low dose-rate exposures to ionizing radiation. Despite this, the current epidemiologic studies and scientific data are still insufficient to provide the necessary evidence for improving risk assessment guidelines. This literature review aims to inform future studies on multigenerational and transgenerational effects.

Detailing Early Shoot Growth Arrest in Kro-0 x BG-5 Hybrids of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Shoot growth directly impacts plant productivity. Plants adjust their shoot growth in response to varying environments to maximize resource capture and stress resilience. While several factors controlling shoot growth are known, the complexity of the regulation and the input of the environment are not fully understood.

Correction: Sallam et al. DNA Methylation Alterations in Fractionally Irradiated Rats and Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Radiotherapy. 2022, , 16214.

Radia Tamarat and Susana Constantino Rosa Santos were not included as authors in the original publication [...

Human Intestinal Organoids and Microphysiological Systems for Modeling Radiotoxicity and Assessing Radioprotective Agents.

Radiotherapy is a commonly employed treatment for colorectal cancer, yet its radiotoxicity-related impact on healthy tissues raises significant health concerns. This highlights the need to use radioprotective agents to mitigate these side effects. This review presents the current landscape of human translational radiobiology, outlining the limitations of existing models and proposing engineering solutions.

Preclinical Evaluation of Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptor Antagonists Labeled with Tb and Lu: A Comparative Study.

To elucidate potential benefits of the Auger-electron-emitting radionuclide Tb, we compared the preclinical performance of the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor antagonists RM2 (DOTA-Pip-d-Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH) and AMTG (α-Me-Trp-RM2), each labeled with both Lu and Tb. Tb/Lu labeling (90°C, 5 min) and cell-based experiments (PC-3 cells) were performed. In vivo stability (30 min after injection) and biodistribution studies (1-72 h after injection) were performed on PC-3 tumor-bearing CB17-SCID mice.

Measuring societal attitudes and behaviours towards radon indoors: A case study of Slovenia.

Public opinion surveys play a crucial role in assessing public awareness, knowledge, and radon risk perception in the context of national Radon Action Plans. However, many of these surveys are constructed without a solid foundation in behavioural theories, health protection theory, or social science methodology. This lack of foundation can lead to misguided priorities in radon mitigation interventions and ineffective communication strategies, ultimately resulting in low compliance with testing and mitigation in private homes.

Ionizing radiation exposure effects across multiple generations: evidence and lessons from non-human biota.

A Task Group (TG121) of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Committee 1 was launched in 2021 to study the effects of ionizing radiation in offspring and next generations. In this report, we summarize the evidence of multi- and trans-generational effects in non-human biota species that was discussed at the ICRP workshop entitled "Effects of Ionizing Radiation Exposure in Offspring and Next Generations" in June 2022. Epigenetic changes, including changes in DNA methylation, have been observed in trans- and multi-generational irradiation studies in both plants and animals.

Epidemiological and experimental evidence for radiation-induced health effects in the progeny after exposure in utero.

Purpose: It has been known for many decades that radiation exposure of the developing embryo or fetus may cause two fundamentally different types of severe health effects: on the one hand, radiation may interfere with the normal intrauterine development, on the other hand, radiation may induce leukemia and cancer which become manifest in childhood. A large amount of epidemiological and experimental data has recently been presented which might be used to improve our understanding of underlying mechanisms and setting radiation protection standards. Yet, ecological studies in the populations exposed to increased levels of radiation in regions contaminated by radioactivity released from reactor accidents (Chernobyl, Fukushima) do not provide solid evidence which would contribute to this aim.

Lost in Space? Unmasking the T Cell Reaction to Simulated Space Stressors.

The space environment will expose astronauts to stressors like ionizing radiation, altered gravity fields and elevated cortisol levels, which pose a health risk. Understanding how the interplay between these stressors changes T cells' response is important to better characterize space-related immune dysfunction. We have exposed stimulated Jurkat cells to simulated space stressors (1 Gy, carbon ions/1 Gy photons, 1 µM hydrocortisone (HC), Mars, moon, and microgravity) in a single or combined manner.

Differentiation between chemo- and radiotoxicity of Cs and Co on Lemna minor.

The uptake and effects of stable Cs and Co on L.minor were extensively studied, together with the effects of gamma radiation using a Cs or Co source. Innovative is that we combined external irradiation (from Cs or Co sources) with the direct uptake of certain amounts of stable Cs or Co to simulate the impact of the same mass of a radioisotope compared with that of the stable element.

Evaluation of Radon Action Plans: Searching for a Systematic and Standardised Method.

Radon, a carcinogenic radioactive gas, is a leading cause of lung cancer according to the World Health Organization. European Member States are required to develop and implement National Radon Action Plans (RAPs) to address its dangerous health effects. However, assessing the effectiveness of these RAPs presents challenges for authorities.

Fine-resolution profile-scale data to depict the impact of tillage treatment and machine traffic on agricultural soil structure and hydrologic properties.

This data article provides high spatial resolution (1 cm) datasets and related figures of the penetrometer resistance (PR) and soil bulk density (BD) data of nine agricultural 50 × 160 cm soil profiles exposed to three tillage treatments and including a wheel track. Soil treatments are moldboard plowing (MP), deep loosening (DL), and minimum tillage (MT). It also provides bulk density data, soil moisture content at various suctions and the parameters of van Genuchten's model for 27 soil cores, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of 49 soil cores.

Dissecting the role of the gut microbiome and fecal microbiota transplantation in radio- and immunotherapy treatment of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and poses a major burden on the human health worldwide. At the moment, treatment of CRC consists of surgery in combination with (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. More recently, immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) have also been approved for CRC treatment.

A benchmark for Monte Carlo simulations in gamma-ray spectrometry Part II: True coincidence summing correction factors.

The goal of this study is to provide a benchmark for the use of Monte Carlo simulation when applied to coincidence summing corrections. The examples are based on simple geometries: two types of germanium detectors and four kinds of sources, to mimic eight typical measurement conditions. The coincidence corrective factors are computed for four radionuclides.

A comprehensive analysis of genetic risk for metabolic syndrome in the Egyptian population via allele frequency investigation and Missense3D predictions.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) represents a major health problem in Egypt and worldwide, with increasing numbers of patients with prediabetes every year. Numerous factors, such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension, which have recently become serious concerns, affect the complex pathophysiology of diabetes. These metabolic syndrome diseases are highly linked to genetic variability that drives certain populations, such as Egypt, to be more susceptible to developing DM.

Radiation exposure assessment of nuclear medicine staff administering [Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE with active and passive dosimetry.

Background: The use of lutetium-177 (Lu)-based radiopharmaceuticals in peptide receptor nuclear therapy is increasing, but so is the number of nuclear medicine workers exposed to higher levels of radiation. In recent years, [Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE has begun to be widely used for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumours. However, there are few studies evaluating the occupational radiation exposure during its administration, and there are still some challenges that can result in higher doses to the staff, such as a lack of trained personnel or fully standardised procedures.

Risk of hematological malignancies from CT radiation exposure in children, adolescents and young adults.

Over one million European children undergo computed tomography (CT) scans annually. Although moderate- to high-dose ionizing radiation exposure is an established risk factor for hematological malignancies, risks at CT examination dose levels remain uncertain. Here we followed up a multinational cohort (EPI-CT) of 948,174 individuals who underwent CT examinations before age 22 years in nine European countries.

CGG toolkit: Software components for computational genomics.

Public-domain availability for bioinformatics software resources is a key requirement that ensures long-term permanence and methodological reproducibility for research and development across the life sciences. These issues are particularly critical for widely used, efficient, and well-proven methods, especially those developed in research settings that often face funding discontinuities. We re-launch a range of established software components for computational genomics, as legacy version 1.

Quality Assurance Considerations in Radiopharmaceutical Therapy Dosimetry Using PLANETDose: An International Atomic Energy Agency Study.

Implementation of radiopharmaceutical therapy dosimetry varies depending on the clinical application, dosimetry protocol, software, and ultimately the operator. Assessing clinical dosimetry accuracy and precision is therefore a challenging task. This work emphasizes some pitfalls encountered during a structured analysis, performed on a single-patient dataset consisting of SPECT/CT images by various participants using a standard protocol and clinically approved commercial software.

Gamma radiation effects on AG MP-50 cation exchange resin and sulfonated activated carbon for bismuth-213 separation.

Medical Ac/Bi radionuclide generators are designed to provide a local supply of the short-lived Bi for cancer treatment. However, radiation-induced damage to the sorbents commonly used in such radionuclide generators remains a major concern. In this study, the effects of gamma radiation on AG MP-50 cation exchange resin and sulfonated activated carbon (SAC) were studied by analyzing the changes in the morphological characteristics, functional groups, and the La/Bi sorption performance, with La being a suitable non-radioactive substitute for Ac.

DNA damage and repair: underlying mechanisms leading to microcephaly.

DNA-damaging agents and endogenous DNA damage constantly harm genome integrity. Under genotoxic stress conditions, the DNA damage response (DDR) machinery is crucial in repairing lesions and preventing mutations in the basic structure of the DNA. Different repair pathways are implicated in the resolution of such lesions.

Adequacy of in-mission training to treat tibial shaft fractures in mars analogue testing.

Long bone fractures are a concern in long-duration exploration missions (LDEM) where crew autonomy will exceed the current Low Earth Orbit paradigm. Current crew selection assumptions require extensive complete training and competency testing prior to flight for off-nominal situations. Analogue astronauts (n = 6) can be quickly trained to address a single fracture pattern and then competently perform the repair procedure.