Comparison of model-averaging and single-distribution approaches to estimating species sensitivity distributions and hazardous concentrations for 5% of species.

Estimation of species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) and hazardous concentrations for 5% of species (HC5s) by fitting a statistical distribution to toxicity data for multiple species is essential in ecological risk assessment of chemicals. Given the challenge of selecting the appropriate statistical distribution in SSD estimation, a model-averaging approach that involves fitting multiple statistical distributions and using weighted estimates to derive HC5s is appealing. However, the effectiveness of this approach compared with SSDs based on a single statistical distribution (i.

From social media to artificial intelligence: improving research on digital harms in youth.

In this Personal View, we critically evaluate the limitations and underlying challenges of existing research into the negative mental health consequences of internet-mediated technologies on young people. We argue that identifying and proactively addressing consistent shortcomings is the most effective method for building an accurate evidence base for the forthcoming influx of research on the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on children and adolescents. Basic research, advice for caregivers, and evidence for policy makers should tackle the challenges that led to the misunderstanding of social media harms.

Breast imaging readers' performance in the PERFORMS test-set based assessment scheme within the MyPeBS international randomised study.

Purpose: A survey conducted by the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI) in 2023 revealed significant variations in Quality Assurance (QA) practices across Europe. The UK encourages regular performance monitoring for screen readers. This study aimed to assess the variability in diagnostic performance among readers participating in a wider prospective randomised trial across multiple countries.

Presence and potential impact of anthropogenic nesting materials on a colonial breeding waterbird.

Despite the vital importance of wetlands globally, these habitats have increasingly received anthropogenic materials, such as plastics, which can impact the wildlife these habitats support. Despite commonly found in the nests of Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), the presence of such materials has never been quantified. Here, we monitored the occurrence of anthropogenic nesting materials (ANM) in spoonbill nests in the Camargue wetland in Southern France during two breeding seasons (2021-2022).

A global review on perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in the riverine systems: Environmental behaviours and risks implications.

This review provides a comprehensive global overview of the occurrences, distribution, emissions, and associated risks of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in riverine systems across both developed and developing countries including the United States (US), Spain, France, Netherlands, Germany, Pakistan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Italy, and Japan. Data for this review were systematically gathered through a comprehensive and structured search process using various databases, search engines, and academic repositories to identify relevant literature and studies. Human health risks were assessed using recommended United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) models, including estimated daily intake (EDI), hazard risk (HR), and hazard index (HI) for each reported PFAA compound in the studied countries.

Comparison of statistical evaluation approaches for log-removal validation according to European water reuse regulations.

In 2020, the European Union published ordinance EU 2020/741, establishing minimum requirements for water reuse in agriculture. The ordinance differentiates between several water quality classes. For the highest water quality class (Class A), the ordinance mandates analytical validation of the treatment performance of new water reuse treatment plants (WRTP) related to the removal of microbial indicators for viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens.

Sources, levels, and determinants of indoor air pollutants in Europe: A systematic review.

Clean air is a requirement for life, and the quality of indoor air is a health determinant since people spend most of their daily time indoors. The aim of this study was to systematically review the available evidence regarding the sources, determinants and concentrations of indoor air pollutants in a set of scenarios under study in K-HEALTHinAIR project. To this end, a systematic review was performed to review the available studies published between the years 2013-2023, for several settings (schools, homes, hospitals, lecture halls, retirement homes, public transports and canteens), conducted in Europe, where sources and determinants of the indoor pollutants concentrations was assessed.

Controlling the stability of monodisperse phospholipid-coated microbubbles by tuning their buckling pressure.

Hypothesis: Monodisperse phospholipid-coated microbubbles, with a size and resonance frequency tuned to the ultrasound driving frequency, have strong potential to enhance sensitivity, efficiency, and control in emerging diagnostic and therapeutic applications involving bubbles and ultrasound. A key requirement is that they retain their gas volume and shell material during physiologic pressure changes and withstand the overpressure during intravenous injection. The shell typically comprises a mixture of a phospholipid (e.

Trajectories of intrinsic connectivity one year post pediatric mild traumatic brain injury: Neural injury superimposed on neurodevelopment.

The developing brain undergoes rapid changes throughout middle childhood and adolescence. The disambiguation of long-term changes in intrinsic activity following pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (pmTBI) from typical development can therefore only be ascertained in longitudinal studies with large sample size and at least three serial assessments. A comprehensive clinical battery and resting-state fMRI data were collected approximately 1-week (N = 263; 8-18 years old), 4-months (N = 192) and 1-year (N = 153) post-injury, with identical visits in a large cohort (N = 228) of age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC).

Interpretation of individual differences in computational neuroscience using a latent input approach.

Computational neuroscience offers a valuable opportunity to understand the neural mechanisms underlying behavior. However, interpreting individual differences in these mechanisms, such as developmental differences, is less straightforward. We illustrate this challenge through studies that examine individual differences in reinforcement learning.

Synergizing bioprinting and 3D cell culture to enhance tissue formation in printed synthetic constructs.

Bioprinting is currently the most promising method to biofabricate complex tissues in vitro with the potential to transform the future of organ transplantation and drug discovery. Efforts to create such tissues are, however, almost exclusively based on animal-derived materials, like gelatin methacryloyl, which have demonstrated efficacy in bioprinting of complex tissues. While these materials are already used in clinical applications, uncertainty about their safety still remains due to their animal origin.

Paediatric strategy forum for medicinal product development in diffuse midline gliomas in children and adolescents ACCELERATE in collaboration with the European Medicines Agency with participation of the Food and Drug Administration.

Fewer than 10 % of children with diffuse midline glioma (DMG) survive 2 years from diagnosis. Radiation therapy remains the cornerstone of treatment and there are no medicinal products with regulatory approval. Although the biology of DMG is better characterized, this has not yet translated into effective treatments.

The 2024 Assisi think tank on breast cancer: Focus on the use of a tumour bed boost after breast conserving therapy.

At the Fifth Assisi Think Tank Meeting (ATTM) on breast cancer, one key topic was the role of tumor bed boost in invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ. The need for a tumor bed boost after whole breast irradiation is controversial. A literature review assessed boost indications, target volume definition, techniques, dose fractionation, and ongoing trials.

Focused ultrasound therapy as a strategy for improving glioma treatment.

The infiltrative and diffuse nature of gliomas makes complete resection unfeasible. Unfortunately, regions of brain parenchyma with residual, infiltrative tumor are protected by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), making systemic chemotherapies, small-molecule inhibitors, and immunotherapies of limited efficacy. Low-frequency focused ultrasound (FUS) in combination with intravascular microbubbles can be used to disrupt the BBB transiently and selectively within the tumor and peritumoral region.

One hundred thirty-four germ line PU.1 variants and the agammaglobulinemic patients carrying them.

Leukopoiesis is lethally arrested in mice lacking the master transcriptional regulator PU.1. Depending on the animal model, subtotal PU.

DDAVP response and its determinants in bleeding disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Desmopressin (DDAVP) can be used to prevent or stop bleeding. However, large inter-individual variability is observed in DDAVP response and determinants are largely unknown. In this systematic review and meta-analysis we aim to identify the response to DDAVP, and the factors that determine DDAVP response in patients.

Preoperative Anemia as a Prognostic Risk Factor for Inferior Oncological Survival Following Resection for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: A significant proportion of patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are anemic at the time of resection. In these patients, blood transfusions are omitted due to their potential negative impact on oncological outcomes. The aim of the present study was to determine the prognostic value of preoperative anemia in resected PDAC patients, irrespective of blood transfusion status.

Opportunities and Challenges of a Cap-and-Trade System for Plastics.

Recently, the rapid increase in global plastics production has caused various ecological and economic issues, worsened by poor material and waste management. Among the market-based instruments that could help mitigate the environmental impacts of plastics throughout their life-cycle, we evaluate the advantages and limitations of incorporating a cap-and-trade (CAT) system into future policy mixes. Our aim is to inspire further investigation of CAT's feasibility rather than presenting it as the ultimate solution.

Fertility in transgender and gender diverse people: systematic review of the effects of gender-affirming hormones on reproductive organs and fertility.

Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people seek gender-affirming care at any age to manage gender identities or expressions that differ from their birth gender. Gender-affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) and gender-affirming surgery may alter reproductive function and/or anatomy, limiting future reproductive options to varying degrees, if individuals desire to either give birth or become a biological parent.

Objective And Rationale: TGD people increasingly pursue help for their reproductive questions, including fertility, fertility preservation, active desire for children, and future options.

TCR transgenic clone selection guided by immune receptor analysis and single-cell RNA expression of polyclonal responders.

Since the precursor frequency of naive T cells is extremely low, investigating the early steps of antigen-specific T cell activation is challenging. To overcome this detection problem, adoptive transfer of a cohort of T cells purified from T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic donors has been extensively used but is not readily available for emerging pathogens. Constructing TCR transgenic mice from T cell hybridomas is a labor-intensive and sometimes erratic process, since the best clones are selected based on antigen-induced CD69 upregulation or IL-2 production in vitro, and TCR chains are polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-cloned into expression vectors.

Assessment of scattered and leakage radiation from ultra-portable X-ray systems in chest imaging: An independent study.

Ultraportable (UP) X-ray devices are ideal to use in community-based settings, particularly for chest X-ray (CXR) screening of tuberculosis (TB). Unfortunately, there is insufficient guidance on the radiation safety of these devices. This study aims to determine the radiation dose by UP X-ray devices to both the public and radiographers compared to international dose limits.

Ascertaining the Environmental Advantages of Pavement Designs Incorporating Recycled Content through a Parametric and Probabilistic Approach.

Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is a widely used end-of-life (EoL) material in asphalt pavements to increase the material circularity. However, the performance loss due to using RAP in the asphalt binder layer often requires a thicker layer, leading to additional material usage, energy consumption, and transportation effort. In this study, we developed a parametric and probabilistic life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to robustly compare various pavement designs incorporating recycled materials.