Latest Articles

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  Section: Statistics & Machine Learning ; Topics: Biophysics and computational biology, Genetics/genomics

  Epigenetic profile drives accurate survival prediction in breast cancer via a multi-omics machine learning model

  Mestrallet, Guillaume;   Pierga, Alexandre;   Frémont, Paul  

  10.24072/pcjournal.758 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 6 (2026), article no. e66

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  Accurate overall survival (OS) prediction is key for personalized treatment in breast cancer, but mutation burden alone is insufficient. To improve prognostic accuracy, we integrated genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, epigenetic, and clinical features from 802 breast cancer patients to develop BANDOL (Breast cancer Analysis with Neoplastic Data and Omics Learning), a Random Survival Forest model. BANDOL correctly predicted survival ranking in 73% of patient pairs and outperformed mutation-based models (time-dependent AUC: 0.9–1 vs. 0.4–0.9). Immune activation signatures correlated with a longer OS after therapy, while a shorter OS was linked to TREM2⁺ myeloid cells, B cells, and leptin signaling. The transferability of the model was further explored in three independent TCGA cohorts from distinct cancer types (uterine, ovarian and lower-grade glioma), where moderate predictive performance was maintained despite biological differences between tumors. Epigenetic features were the strongest OS predictors for BANDOL. Current therapies may be combined with strategies to target the methylations of ME3, PPARG, OLIG3 and SLC25A22 genes. This study demonstrates that multi-omics integration via machine learning enhances survival prediction and reveals actionable biomarkers.

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  Section: Ecotoxicology & Environmental Chemistry ; Topics: Computer sciences, Environmental sciences

  PFAS Data Hub: An open data portal featuring geovisualisation

  Martinon, Luc;   Guyot, Alexis;   Lysaniuk, Benjamin; Henry, Emmanuel;   Vermeersch, Stéphanie;   Labadie, Pierre  

  10.24072/pcjournal.750 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 6 (2026), article no. e65

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  Per-and polyluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemical substances used in everyday products and industry processes since the 1950s. They contain carbon-fluorine bonds, among the strongest in chemistry, resulting in intrinsic or indirect extreme environmental persistence and earning them the nickname "forever chemicals". In a context of growing awareness of PFAS toxicity and widespread pollution, the Forever Pollution Project (FPP), a cross-border journalistic investigation, compiled data on measured and estimated PFAS contamination across Europe, published as an interactive map. In this data paper we present the PFAS Data Hub (PDH), a project building upon the FPP dataset and reprocessing it using a more robust and transparent methodology. We incorporated several additional data sources, most of which are automatically updated on a monthly basis. To our knowledge, this constitutes the only compilation of PFAS contamination data at the European scale. It is intended to support research projects across a wide range of different disciplines, and to be used as a source of information by journalists, citizens and civil society organisations. The data, as well as a geovisualisation tool with filtering and export options, is available on the PDH website: https://pdh.cnrs.fr.

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  Section: Archaeology ; Topics: History, Computer sciences ; Conference: CAA2025

  Pioneering Preventive Preservation: The role of remote sensing in Cultural Heritage

  Tsiafaki, Despoina;   Michailidou, Natasa;   Karta, Melpomeni;   Sirakouli, Vasiliki  

  10.24072/pcjournal.728 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 6 (2026), article no. e64

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  In Europe, the preventive preservation of cultural heritage sites has emerged as a pressing priority in response to the escalating challenges posed by climate change. The current climate crisis, marked by unprecedented temperature fluctuations and a surge in severe climate-related impacts, poses serious risks to these cultural landmarks. Factors such as rising temperatures, extreme weather events, sea level rises, and shifting precipitation patterns accelerate degradation, heighten erosion and flooding risks, compromise the static integrity of monuments, and foster the growth of biodeterioration agents that can further burden these landmarks. In this context, it is recognized that remote sensing as a means of preventive preservation can be a critical tool for proactive heritage preservation, ensuring that these invaluable sites endure for future generations. This paper aims to present the current state of the art regarding remote sensing in cultural heritage through relevant case studies and projects, with a primary focus on the European-funded ARGUS project, which integrates remote sensing data with digital twins to develop non-destructive, scalable monitoring strategies for remote built heritage. Through a comparative analysis, the paper will also attempt to explore the existing limitations and challenges in employing remote sensing technologies for the proactive conservation of cultural heritage sites. Moreover, the paper emphasizes the critical importance of interdisciplinary collaboration among conservation experts, technologists, heritage stakeholders, and policymakers. Such partnerships are vital for addressing existing gaps and driving innovation in cultural heritage preservation. Significant progress has already been made at the European level, fostering initiatives that unite diverse projects into a collaborative ecosystem. These consortia facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices, identify opportunities for joint dissemination and communication efforts, and provide cohesive, actionable recommendations to policymakers within the European Union and beyond. In conclusion, this paper examines the potential of integrating remote sensing technologies into the proactive preservation of cultural heritage in response to the escalating challenges of climate change. By tackling these issues, it aspires to outline a multi-faceted approach that combines advancements in remote sensing with robust interdisciplinary collaboration and targeted policy recommendations. Ultimately, the goal is to provide actionable insights that can enhance the resilience and sustainability of cultural heritage sites ensuring their protection for future generations in an increasingly vulnerable environmental context.

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  Section: Ecotoxicology & Environmental Chemistry ; Topics: Ecology, Physiology

  Influence of organs, body size and growth on domoic acid depuration in the king scallop, Pecten maximus

  Le Moan, Eline;   Hégaret, Hélène;   Deléglise, Margot; Ambroziak, Marie;   Vanmaldergem, Jean; Derrien, Amélie; Terre-Terrillon, Aourégan; Breton, Florian; Fabioux, Caroline;   Jean, Fred;   Flye-Sainte-Marie, Jonathan  

  10.24072/pcjournal.751 - Peer Community Journal, Volume 6 (2026), article no. e63

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  Since 1995, European fisheries of Pecten maximus faced the presence of Pseudo-nitzschia species, which are able to produce the neurotoxin domoic acid responsible for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP). As filter-feeders, scallops can accumulate and retain domoic acid much longer than most of the other bivalves, from months to years. When concentrations exceed the regulatory threshold, fisheries are closed leading to economic crisis. Inter-individual variability increases the difficulty to predict the depuration dynamics. Quantifying the correlations between domoic acid depuration in P. maximus and individual physiological traits, particularly body size, could improve the understanding of contamination and depuration. In this study, toxin dynamics in organs were analysed and the effects of body size and growth were assessed. This analysis was based on two datasets, one experimental and one in situ, of depuration monitoring of P. maximus exposed to a natural bloom of toxic P. australis. Results show that the distribution of domoic acid shifted among organs between the contamination and after two months of depuration. Toxin concentrations negatively correlate with body size during contamination and after two months of depuration, but shift to a positive correlation after 7 months of depuration. This shift suggests that the smaller scallops accumulate more domoic acid and depurate it faster. Thus, dilution by growth can explain the reversal of the correlation between domoic acid and body size throughout depuration. These results yield useful information for modelling such mechanisms, providing valuable tools for scallop fishery management facing ASP.