Belgian Nuclear Research Centre

The context of armed conflict situations presents unique challenges that can compromise the safety and well-being of both affected populations and responders in radiological and nuclear emergencies. The focus of the EU project RRADEW 'Resilience to RADiological Events in Wartime'(2024-2027) is to enhance nuclear Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery (EPR&R) systems by strengthening resilience to potential incidents in the context of war or armed conflict. The project is structured in five work packages focusing on the development of war scenarios (WP1), identification of resilience dimensions and indicators (WP2 and 3), development of decision-support, training materials and recommendations targeting key stakeholders (WP4), and key ethical questions for radiological protection in the context of armed conflicts (WP5). Since its start in 2024 the project has built a war-risk scenario matrix for nuclear facilities, produced a resilience framework that links the Sendai-definition of resilience to radiation emergencies, integrating social, technical and organisational dimensions across the EPR&R system, drafted training modules for deminers and first-responder monitors and produced an ethical matrix highlighting dilemmas such as dignity, autonomy and justice in armed-conflict radiological events. Together, these efforts aim to provide actionable frameworks and recommendations to ensure the safety and well-being of both affected populations and responders in wartime radiological incidents.

The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a New World Monkey that frequently serves as a model in biomedical research. Our knowledge of its anatomy is the fundament of the provision of the correct environment, housing, and care together with provision of accurate medical care in the case it gets wounded. In this anatomical research article, the focus is on the hand musculature, as it plays a pivotal role in the interaction with the environment and conspecifics. Surprisingly, anatomical works on the common marmoset are scarce. The available books and atlases are either outdated in terms of illustrations, providing only simplified line drawings, and/or fail to recapitulate the anatomy of the hand using contemporary anatomical nomenclature. The present work describes the myology of the hand, based on dissections of common marmoset cadavers. Color photographs taken during the subsequent steps of the examinations lead the reader through the textual descriptions. Dorsal and palmar views of the antebrachial muscles with influence on the wrist and hand as well as the intrinsic hand musculature are scrutinized. The findings are finally discussed in view of potential contradictions with the available literature. In addition, comparison is made with the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) whose hand musculature was recently revisited. It is concluded that the hand musculature of both species is highly similar, although remarkable differences are present. This work could serve as an anatomical foundation for medical interventions of the injured hand.

Ensuring adequate nutrition is essential for long-duration space missions where Earth resupply is limited or unfeasible. Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS), such as ESA’s MELiSSA, aim to sustain astronauts by recycling resources and cultivating crops. However, plant-based diets in BLSS may lack key micronutrients. This study identified nutritional gaps in crop-based BLSS diets, revealing deficiencies in several micronutrients, including cobalamin (vit B₁₂), riboflavin (vit B₂), and calciferol (vit D). We screened microorganisms for genomic potential to produce these micronutrients and filtered candidates based on inclusion in the EFSA Qualified Presumption of Safety and Novel Food lists. Organisms were prioritized based on biosynthetic capability and robustness. The result is a ranked list of microbial candidates capable of addressing nutritional deficiencies in BLSS diets. These findings support the integration of resilient, nutrient-producing microbes into space food systems, offering a strategic path toward self-sufficient and health-supportive nutrition for future deep space missions.

Boundary-representation (B-Rep) computational phantoms (CPs) offer high flexibility and anatomical accuracy, making them valuable tools in dosimetry and medical imaging simulations. However, their complexity and the need for expertise in graphic modelling limit their accessibility and adoption. Moreover, most Monte Carlo (MC) particle transport codes lack native support for B-Rep geometries, requiring complex and non-automated conversion to compatible formats, further complicating their use. To address these challenges, we developed the interactive posture program (IPP), a software platform to ease the use of B-Rep phantoms. The IPP features a real-time three-dimensional (3D) graphical interface, allowing users to easily create individualised phantoms and realistic exposure scenarios. Currently, the IPP includes three flexible phantoms-Adult Male, Adult Female, and 1-year-old Female-from the realistic anthropomorphic flexible (RAF) family, which can be extensively customised using integrated morphing tools to simulate diverse anatomical variations. Additionally, the IPP provides a comprehensive library of predefined exposure scenarios and advanced geometry creation tools, which allow the creation of accurate and individualised simulations. Finally, the IPP automatically generates simulation input files compatible with the most widely used MC transport codes, significantly simplifying the use of B-Rep phantoms within dosimetry and imaging simulations.

Radon poses a significant health risk when present indoors. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking. Effective communication strategies are essential for raising awareness about radon and encouraging individuals to test and mitigate. However, current approaches, which primarily focus on statistical information, have not proven sufficiently effective. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the impact of narratives—compared to statistical texts—on personal and general risk perception and intentions to adopt radon protective behaviour. Additionally, the mediating role of psychological distance was investigated, building on the risk convergence model. Using a between-subject design, an online experiment was conducted with three conditions: a narrative condition (N = 124), a statistical condition (N = 126), and a control condition (N = 133). The study revealed that narratives are effective in influencing personal and general risk perception. They also played a pivotal role in encouraging behavioural intentions, such as the intention to seek information, intention to test and mitigate. This underlines the importance of different communication strategies in shaping risk perception and behavioural intent. These findings contribute to the development of more effective communication strategies for reducing radon-related health risks and enhancing overall public health.

Nonuniform radiopharmaceutical uptake in kidney tissues leads to substructure-level absorbed dose heterogeneity, confounding the establishment of absorbed dose-effect relationships for nephrotoxicity in radiopharmaceutical therapy. We developed a model to enable nephron-level dosimetry. Methods: A multinephron computational model was developed on the basis of 3-dimensional multiphoton microscopy data, including different nephron types (superficial, midcortical, and juxtamedullary) and their main substructures (glomerulus, proximal tubule [PT], and distal tubule) in kidney tissues. Nephron-level S values were determined using Monte Carlo calculations for several β-- and α-emitting radionuclides. The multinephron dosimetry framework was applied to nonuniform kidney tissue uptake data on 225Ac, located primarily in midcortical and juxtamedullary PTs. Results: A nonuniform substructure activity distribution resulted in pronounced absorbed dose heterogeneities. S values varied substantially among nephron types, with the largest in juxtamedullary substructures. The self-dose to PTs was 7.6-15 times higher than the S value of superficial PTs for the α-emitters considered. The cross dose to juxtamedullary glomeruli was on average 20% higher than to superficial glomeruli. The case study revealed substantial absorbed dose heterogeneity, with the absorbed dose to the different PTs being 40%-73% higher than to their respective glomeruli. Additionally, the contribution of free 213Bi to the total absorbed dose differed from that of 225Ac. Conclusion: The developed multinephron framework enables nephron-level dosimetry, allowing quantification of absorbed dose heterogeneity within renal tissues. Such insights enable establishing critical nephron substructures for nephrotoxicity in radiopharmaceutical therapy, supporting nephroprotective strategies during clinical translation of novel radiopharmaceuticals.

The goal of this research is to create a computational dosimetry system to monitor the dose received by nuclear medicine workers on their extremities. The system creates multiple Monte Carlo simulations to assess the dose received in different sections of the hands. Each simulation is created based on depth camera images of the manipulation of radioactive sources, using digital twins to represent the hands of the worker and the radiation source. The position of the hands and the source is constantly recalculated using computer vision algorithms. In this paper, we explain the different components of the computational system, assessing the possible sources of uncertainty introduced by each component. As a proof of concept, we compared the dose estimated by the computational system with real dosimeter measurements for two different scenarios. The simulated dose was, on average, 51% of the measured dose.