Childhood cancer risks estimates following CT scans: an update of the French CT cohort study.

Objectives: Increased risks of central nervous system (CNS) tumors and leukemia associated with computed tomography (CT) exposure during childhood have been reported in recent epidemiological studies. However, no evidence of increased risks was suggested in a previous analysis of the French CT cohort. This study benefits from an updated cohort with a longer follow-up and a larger sample size of patients.

Adverse outcome pathway: a path toward better data consolidation and global co-ordination of radiation research.

Background: The purpose of toxicology is to protect human health and the environment. To support this, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), operating via its Extended Advisory Group for Molecular Screening and Toxicogenomics (EAGMST), has been developing the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) approach to consolidate evidence for chemical toxicity spanning multiple levels of biological organization. The knowledge transcribed into AOPs provides a structured framework to transparently organize data, examine the weight of evidence of the AOP, and identify causal relationships between exposure to stressors and adverse effects of regulatory relevance.

Deciphering the Dynamic Molecular Program of Radiation-Induced Endothelial Senescence.

Purpose: Radiation-induced cellular senescence is a double-edged sword, acting as both a tumor suppression process limiting tumor proliferation, and a crucial process contributing to normal tissue injury. Endothelial cells play a role in normal tissue injury after radiation therapy. Recently, a study observed an accumulation of senescent endothelial cells (ECs) around radiation-induced lung focal lesions following stereotactic radiation injury in mice.

Variation of 4 MV X-ray dose rate in fractionated irradiation strongly impacts biological endothelial cell response .

Purpose: Even though X-ray beams are widely used in medical diagnosis or radiotherapy, the comparisons of their dose rates are scarce. We have recently demonstrated in vitro (clonogenic assay, cell viability, cell cycle, senescence) and in vivo (weight follow-up of animals and bordering epithelium staining of lesion), that for a single dose of irradiation, the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) deviates from 1 (up to twofold greater severe damage at the highest dose rate depending on the assay) when increasing the dose rate of high energy X-ray beams.

Material And Methods: To further investigate the impact of the dose rate on RBE, in this study, we performed in vitro fractionated irradiations by using the same two dose rates (0.

Cancer risk from chronic exposures to chemicals and radiation: a comparison of the toxicological reference value with the radiation detriment.

This article aims at comparing reference methods for the assessment of cancer risk from exposure to genotoxic carcinogen chemical substances and to ionizing radiation. For chemicals, cancer potency is expressed as a toxicological reference value (TRV) based on the most sensitive type of cancer generally observed in animal experiments of oral or inhalation exposure. A dose-response curve is established by modelling experimental data adjusted to apply to human exposure.

Exposure to low-dose ionising radiation from cardiac catheterisation and risk of cancer: the COCCINELLE study cohort profile.

Purpose: The COCCINELLE study is a nationwide retrospective French cohort set up to evaluate the risk of cancer in patients who undergone cardiac catheterisation (CC) procedures for diagnosis or treatment of congenital heart disease during childhood.

Participants: Children who undergone CC procedures from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2013, before the age of 16 in one of the 15 paediatric cardiology departments which perform paediatric CC in mainland France were included. The follow-up started at the date of the first recorded CC procedure until the exit date, that is, the date of death, the date of first cancer diagnosis, the date of the 18th birthday or the 31 December 2015, whichever occurred first.

Disruption of AtHAK/KT/KUP9 enhances plant cesium accumulation under low potassium supply.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie cesium (Cs ) transport in plants is important to limit the entry of its radioisotopes from contaminated areas into the food chain. The potentially toxic element Cs , which is not involved in any biological process, is chemically closed to the macronutrient potassium (K ). Among the multiple K carriers, the high-affinity K transporters family HAK/KT/KUP is thought to be relevant in mediating opportunistic Cs transport.

Biomarkers of Genotoxicity in Medical Workers Exposed to Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation: Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses.

Medical staff represent the largest group of workers occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation (IR). Chronic exposure to low-dose IR may result in DNA damage and genotoxicity associated with increased risk of cancer. This review aims to identify the genotoxicity biomarkers that are the most elevated in IR-exposed vs.

Regenerative medicine for digestive fistulae therapy: Benefits, challenges and promises of stem/stromal cells and emergent perspectives via their extracellular vesicles.

Despite current management strategies, digestive fistulae remain extremely debilitating complications associated with significant morbidity and mortality, generating a need to develop innovative therapies in these indications. A number of clinical trials and experimental studies have thus investigated the potential of stem/stromal cells (SCs) or SC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) administration for post-surgical and Crohn's-associated fistulae. This review summarizes the physiopathology and current standards-of-care for digestive fistulae, along with relevant evidence from animal and clinical studies regarding SC or EV treatment for post-surgical digestive fistulae.

Recommendations for the use of active personal dosemeters (APDs) in interventional workplaces in hospitals.

Occupational radiation doses from interventional procedures have the potential to be relatively high. The requirement to optimise these doses encourages the use of electronic or active personal dosimeters (APDs) which are now increasingly used in hospitals. They are typically used in tandem with a routine passive dosimetry monitoring programme, with APDs used for real-time readings, for training purposes and when new imaging technology is introduced.

Residential exposure to natural background radiation at birth and risk of childhood acute leukemia in France, 1990-2009.

Background: The role of natural background radiation (NBR) in childhood acute leukemia (AL) remains unclear. Several large record based studies have recently reported heterogeneous results. Differences in exposure assessment timing may explain this heterogeneity.

Targeted Dorsal Dentate Gyrus or Whole Brain Irradiation in Juvenile Mice Differently Affects Spatial Memory and Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis.

The cognitive consequences of postnatal brain exposure to ionizing radiation (IR) at low to moderate doses in the adult are not fully established. Because of the advent of pediatric computed tomography scans used for head exploration, improving our knowledge of these effects represents a major scientific challenge. To evaluate how IR may affect the developing brain, models of either whole brain (WB) or targeted dorsal dentate gyrus (DDG) irradiation in C57Bl/6J ten-day-old male mice were previously developed.

Delayed Contrast-Enhanced MR Angiography for the Assessment of Internal Carotid Bulb Patency in the Context of Acute Ischemic Stroke: An Accuracy, Interrater, and Intrarater Agreement Study.

Background And Purpose: CTA has shown limited accuracy and reliability in distinguishing tandem occlusions and pseudo-occlusions on initial acute stroke imaging. The utility of early and delayed contrast-enhanced MRA in this setting is unknown. We aimed to assess the accuracy and reliability of early and delayed contrast-enhanced MRA for carotid bulb patency in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Dosimetry for Cell Irradiation using Orthovoltage (40-300 kV) X-Ray Facilities.

The importance of dosimetry protocols and standards for radiobiological studies is self-evident. Several protocols have been proposed for dose determination using low energy X-ray facilities, but depending on the irradiation configurations, samples, materials or beam quality, it is sometimes difficult to know which protocol is the most appropriate to employ. We, therefore, propose a dosimetry protocol for cell irradiations using low energy X-ray facility.

The role of aircraft noise annoyance and noise sensitivity in the association between aircraft noise levels and medication use: results of a pooled-analysis from seven European countries.

Background: Few studies have considered aircraft noise annoyance and noise sensitivity in analyses of the health effects of aircraft noise, especially in relation to medication use. This study aims to investigate the moderating and mediating role of these two factors in the relationship between aircraft noise levels and medication use among 5860 residents of ten European airports included in the HYENA and DEBATS studies.

Methods: Information on aircraft noise annoyance, noise sensitivity, medication use, and demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle factors was collected during a face-to-face interview at home.

Bringing together scientific disciplines for collaborative undertakings: a vision for advancing the adverse outcome pathway framework.

Background: Decades of research to understand the impacts of various types of environmental occupational and medical stressors on human health have produced a vast amount of data across many scientific disciplines. Organizing these data in a meaningful way to support risk assessment has been a significant challenge. To address this and other challenges in modernizing chemical health risk assessment, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) formalized the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework, an approach to consolidate knowledge into measurable key events (KEs) at various levels of biological organisation causally linked to disease based on the weight of scientific evidence (http://oe.

Reference values of electrographic and cardiac ultrasound parameters in Russian healthy children and adolescents.

Between 2009 and 2013, a large cross-sectional study on the health consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear accident was performed in the contaminated and uncontaminated territories of the Bryansk Oblast (Russian Federation). The objective of this work was to confirm or refute a possible association between childhood cardiac arrhythmia and a chronic exposure to caesium-137. As part of this study, a large number of electrocardiographic and cardiac ultrasound parameters were collected from 18,152 children aged 2-18 years including 12,512 healthy ones not contaminated with caesium-137.

Self-rated health status in relation to aircraft noise exposure, noise annoyance or noise sensitivity: the results of a cross-sectional study in France.

Background: Noise is a major public health issue because of its negative impacts on health, including annoyance, sleep disturbance, cardiovascular diseases and altered cognitive performance among children. Self-rated health status (SRHS) can be considered as a reliable indicator of quality of life, morbidity and mortality but few studies have considered SRHS in relation to aircraft noise exposure. The present study aims to investigate the association between this exposure and SRHS of people living near airports in France, and to consider the mediating or moderating role of aircraft noise annoyance and noise sensitivity in this association.

Chronic Inflammation and Radiation-Induced Cystitis: Molecular Background and Therapeutic Perspectives.

Radiation cystitis is a potential complication following the therapeutic irradiation of pelvic cancers. Its clinical management remains unclear, and few preclinical data are available on its underlying pathophysiology. The therapeutic strategy is difficult to establish because few prospective and randomized trials are available.

ICRP approach for radiological protection from NORM in industrial processes.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) recently issued ICRP on radiological protection from naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) in industrial processes. Industries involving NORM may give rise to multiple hazards, and the radiological hazard is not necessarily dominant. They are diverse and may involve exposure of people and the environment where protective actions need to be considered.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Mesenchymal Stem Cells of the Placenta and Their Conditioned Medium in Local Radiation Injuries.

Background: The search for an effective therapy for local radiation injuries (LRI) is urgent; one option is mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) derived from the placenta and their conditioned medium for the regenerative processes of the skin.

Methods: We used 80 animals, randomly assigned to four groups: control (C) animals that did not receive therapy; control with the introduction of culture medium concentrate (CM); introduction of MSCs (PL); introduction of CMPL. LRI modeling was performed on an X-ray machine at a dose of 110 Gy.

Mortality among uranium miners in North America and Europe: the Pooled Uranium Miners Analysis (PUMA).

Background: The Pooled Uranium Miners Analysis (PUMA) study draws together information from cohorts of uranium miners from Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany and the USA.

Methods: Vital status and cause of death were ascertained and compared with expectations based upon national mortality rates by computing standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) overall and by categories of time since first hire, calendar period of first employment and duration of employment as a miner.

Results: There were 51 787 deaths observed among 118 329 male miners [SMR = 1.

No significant association between stable iodine intake and thyroid dysfunction in children after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: an observational study.

Purpose: Stable iodine prophylaxis helps prevent childhood thyroid cancer in nuclear emergencies; however, there is limited information on its effect on thyroid function. This study aimed to examine thyroid function and autoimmunity among children and adolescents that took stable iodine after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster.

Methods: For this observational study, data were obtained from children and adolescents that underwent thyroid cancer screening at Hirata Central Hospital from April 2012 to March 2018.

Lessons learned from Chernobyl and Fukushima on thyroid cancer screening and recommendations in case of a future nuclear accident.

Exposure of the thyroid gland to ionizing radiation at a young age is the main recognized risk factor for differentiated thyroid cancer. After the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear accidents, thyroid cancer screening was implemented mainly for children, leading to case over-diagnosis as seen in South Korea after the implementation of opportunistic screening (where subjects are recruited at healthcare sites). The aim of cancer screening is to reduce morbidity and mortality, but screening can also cause negative effects on health (with unnecessary treatment if over-diagnosis) and on quality of life.