Employing Supervised Algorithms for the Prediction of Nanomaterial's Antioxidant Efficiency.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are compounds that readily transform into free radicals. Excessive exposure to ROS depletes antioxidant enzymes that protect cells, leading to oxidative stress and cellular damage. Nanomaterials (NMs) exhibit free radical scavenging efficiency representing a potential solution for oxidative stress-induced disorders. This study aims to demonstrate the application of machine learning (ML) algorithms for predicting the antioxidant efficiency of NMs. We manually compiled a comprehensive dataset based on a literature review of 62 in vitro studies. We extracted NMs' physico-chemical (P-chem) properties, the NMs' synthesis technique and various experimental conditions as input features to predict the antioxidant efficiency measured by a 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Following data pre-processing, various regression models were trained and validated. The random forest model showed the highest predictive performance reaching an R2 = 0.83. The attribute importance analysis revealed that the NM's type, core-size and dosage are the most important attributes influencing the prediction. Our findings corroborate with those of the prior research landscape regarding the importance of P-chem characteristics. This study expands the application of ML in the nano-domain beyond safety-related outcomes by capturing the functional performance. Accordingly, this study has two objectives: (1) to develop a model to forecast the antioxidant efficiency of NMs to complement conventional in vitro assays and (2) to underline the lack of a comprehensive database and the scarcity of relevant data and/or data management practices in the nanotechnology field, especially with regards to functionality assessments.

Cyber risk and cybersecurity: a systematic review of data availability.

Cybercrime is estimated to have cost the global economy just under USD 1 trillion in 2020, indicating an increase of more than 50% since 2018. With the average cyber insurance claim rising from USD 145,000 in 2019 to USD 359,000 in 2020, there is a growing necessity for better cyber information sources, standardised databases, mandatory reporting and public awareness. This research analyses the extant academic and industry literature on cybersecurity and cyber risk management with a particular focus on data availability. From a preliminary search resulting in 5219 cyber peer-reviewed studies, the application of the systematic methodology resulted in 79 unique datasets. We posit that the lack of available data on cyber risk poses a serious problem for stakeholders seeking to tackle this issue. In particular, we identify a lacuna in open databases that undermine collective endeavours to better manage this set of risks. The resulting data evaluation and categorisation will support cybersecurity researchers and the insurance industry in their efforts to comprehend, metricise and manage cyber risks. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1057/s41288-022-00266-6.

Regulatory and Technical Constraints: An Overview of the Technical Possibilities and Regulatory Limitations of Vehicle Telematic Data.

A telematics device is a vehicle instrument that comes preinstalled by the vehicle manufacturer or can be added later. The device records information about driving behavior, including speed, acceleration, and turning force. When connected to vehicle computers, the device can also provide additional information regarding the mechanical usage and condition of the vehicle. All of this information can be transmitted to a central database via mobile networks. The information provided has led to new services such as Usage Based Insurance (UBI). A range of consultants, industry commentators and academics have produced an abundance of projections on how telematics information will allow the introduction of services from personalized insurance, bespoke entertainment and advertise and vehicle energy optimization, particularly for Electric Vehicles (EVs). In this paper we examine these potential services against a backdrop of nascent regulatory limitations and against the technical capacity of the devices. Using a case study approach, we examine three applications that can use telematics information. We find that the expectations of service providers will be significantly tempered by regulatory and technical hurdles. In our discussion we detail these limitations and suggest a more realistic rollout of ancillary services.

Risk Governance of Emerging Technologies Demonstrated in Terms of its Applicability to Nanomaterials.

Nanotechnologies have reached maturity and market penetration that require nano-specific changes in legislation and harmonization among legislation domains, such as the amendments to REACH for nanomaterials (NMs) which came into force in 2020. Thus, an assessment of the components and regulatory boundaries of NMs risk governance is timely, alongside related methods and tools, as part of the global efforts to optimise nanosafety and integrate it into product design processes, via Safe(r)-by-Design (SbD) concepts. This paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art regarding risk governance of NMs and lays out the theoretical basis for the development and implementation of an effective, trustworthy and transparent risk governance framework for NMs. The proposed framework enables continuous integration of the evolving state of the science, leverages best practice from contiguous disciplines and facilitates responsive re-thinking of nanosafety governance to meet future needs. To achieve and operationalise such framework, a science-based Risk Governance Council (RGC) for NMs is being developed. The framework will provide a toolkit for independent NMs' risk governance and integrates needs and views of stakeholders. An extension of this framework to relevant advanced materials and emerging technologies is also envisaged, in view of future foundations of risk research in Europe and globally.

Predicting In Vitro Neurotoxicity Induced by Nanoparticles Using Machine Learning.

The practice of non-testing approaches in nanoparticles hazard assessment is necessary to identify and classify potential risks in a cost effective and timely manner. Machine learning techniques have been applied in the field of nanotoxicology with encouraging results. A neurotoxicity classification model for diverse nanoparticles is presented in this study. A data set created from multiple literature sources consisting of nanoparticles physicochemical properties, exposure conditions and in vitro characteristics is compiled to predict cell viability. Pre-processing techniques were applied such as normalization methods and two supervised instance methods, a synthetic minority over-sampling technique to address biased predictions and production of subsamples via bootstrapping. The classification model was developed using random forest and goodness-of-fit with additional robustness and predictability metrics were used to evaluate the performance. Information gain analysis identified the exposure dose and duration, toxicological assay, cell type, and zeta potential as the five most important attributes to predict neurotoxicity in vitro. This is the first tissue-specific machine learning tool for neurotoxicity prediction caused by nanoparticles in in vitro systems. The model performs better than non-tissue specific models.

Semiautonomous Vehicle Risk Analysis: A Telematics-Based Anomaly Detection Approach.

The transition to semiautonomous driving is set to considerably reduce road accident rates as human error is progressively removed from the driving task. Concurrently, autonomous capabilities will transform the transportation risk landscape and significantly disrupt the insurance industry. Semiautonomous vehicle (SAV) risks will begin to alternate between human error and technological susceptibilities. The evolving risk landscape will force a departure from traditional risk assessment approaches that rely on historical data to quantify insurable risks. This article investigates the risk structure of SAVs and employs a telematics-based anomaly detection model to assess split risk profiles. An unsupervised multivariate Gaussian (MVG) based anomaly detection method is used to identify abnormal driving patterns based on accelerometer and GPS sensors of manually driven vehicles. Parameters are inferred for vehicles equipped with semiautonomous capabilities and the resulting split risk profile is determined. The MVG approach allows for the quantification of vehicle risks by the relative frequency and severity of observed anomalies and a location-based risk analysis is performed for a more comprehensive assessment. This approach contributes to the challenge of quantifying SAV risks and the methods employed here can be applied to evolving data sources pertinent to SAVs. Utilizing the vast amounts of sensor-generated data will enable insurers to proactively reassess the collective performances of both the artificial driving agent and human driver.

The Essential Elements of a Risk Governance Framework for Current and Future Nanotechnologies.

Societies worldwide are investing considerable resources into the safe development and use of nanomaterials. Although each of these protective efforts is crucial for governing the risks of nanomaterials, they are insufficient in isolation. What is missing is a more integrative governance approach that goes beyond legislation. Development of this approach must be evidence based and involve key stakeholders to ensure acceptance by end users. The challenge is to develop a framework that coordinates the variety of actors involved in nanotechnology and civil society to facilitate consideration of the complex issues that occur in this rapidly evolving research and development area. Here, we propose three sets of essential elements required to generate an effective risk governance framework for nanomaterials. (1) Advanced tools to facilitate risk-based decision making, including an assessment of the needs of users regarding risk assessment, mitigation, and transfer. (2) An integrated model of predicted human behavior and decision making concerning nanomaterial risks. (3) Legal and other (nano-specific and general) regulatory requirements to ensure compliance and to stimulate proactive approaches to safety. The implementation of such an approach should facilitate and motivate good practice for the various stakeholders to allow the safe and sustainable future development of nanotechnology.

Hazard Screening Methods for Nanomaterials: A Comparative Study.

Hazard identification is the key step in risk assessment and management of manufactured nanomaterials (NM). However, the rapid commercialisation of nano-enabled products continues to out-pace the development of a prudent risk management mechanism that is widely accepted by the scientific community and enforced by regulators. However, a growing body of academic literature is developing promising quantitative methods. Two approaches have gained significant currency. Bayesian networks (BN) are a probabilistic, machine learning approach while the weight of evidence (WoE) statistical framework is based on expert elicitation. This comparative study investigates the efficacy of quantitative WoE and Bayesian methodologies in ranking the potential hazard of metal and metal-oxide NMs-TiO2, Ag, and ZnO. This research finds that hazard ranking is consistent for both risk assessment approaches. The BN and WoE models both utilize physico-chemical, toxicological, and study type data to infer the hazard potential. The BN exhibits more stability when the models are perturbed with new data. The BN has the significant advantage of self-learning with new data; however, this assumes all input data is equally valid. This research finds that a combination of WoE that would rank input data along with the BN is the optimal hazard assessment framework.

Using contextual data to predict risky driving events: A novel methodology from explainable artificial intelligence.

Usage-based insurance has allowed insurers to dynamically tailor insurance premiums by understanding when and how safe policyholders drive. However, telematics information can also be used to understand the driving contexts experienced by the driver within each trip (e.g., road types, weather, traffic). Since different combinations of these conditions affect exposure to accidents, this understanding introduces predictive opportunities in driving risk assessment. This paper investigates the relationships between driving context combinations and risk using a naturalistic driving dataset of 77,859 km. In particular, XGBoost and Random Forests are used to determine the predictive significance of driving contexts for near-misses, speeding and distraction events. Moreover, the most important contextual factors in predicting these risky events are identified and ranked through Shapley Additive Explanations. The results show that the driving context has significant power in predicting driving risk. Speed limit, weather temperature, wind speed, traffic conditions and road slope appear in the top ten most relevant features for most risky events. Analysing contextual feature variations and their influence on risky events showed that low-speed limits increase the predicted frequency of speeding and phone unlocking events, whereas high-speed limits decrease harsh accelerations. Low temperatures decrease the expected frequency of harsh manoeuvres, and precipitations increase harsh acceleration, harsh braking, and distraction events. Furthermore, road slope, intersections and pavement quality are the most critical factors among road layout attributes. The methodology presented in this study aims to support road safety stakeholders and insurers by providing insights to study the contextual risk factors that influence road accident frequency and driving risk.

On the impact of advanced driver assistance systems on driving distraction and risky behaviour: An empirical analysis of irish commercial drivers.

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) present promising benefits in mitigating road collisions. However, these benefits are limited when risky drivers continue engaging in distraction events. While there is evidence that real-time warnings help improve driving behaviour, the sustained benefits of warning-based ADAS on reducing driving distraction in light commercial vehicle (LCV) drivers remain unclear. This research determines the effect of receiving instant distraction warnings over two years using a naturalistic driving dataset comprising around one million trips from 373 LCV drivers in the Republic of Ireland. Furthermore, the study applies Association Rule Mining (ARM) to find the contextual variables (e.g., speed limit, road type, traffic conditions) that increase the likelihood of distraction events. The results show that warning-based ADAS providing real-time warnings helps reduce distraction events triggering driver inattention, forward collision, and lane departure warnings. Over half of the studied fleet reduced these warnings by at least 50% - lane departure after two months and driver inattention and forward collision after six months. It is found that both passive and active monitoring systems, coupled with coaching and rewards, significantly reduce aggressive driving behaviours tied to harsh acceleration (by 76%) and harsh braking (by 65%). The results of ARM show that the driving context introduces explanatory information for road safety programs. Low-speed urban roads and the summer season increase the likelihood of driver inattention and forward collision warnings. In contrast, high-speed rural roads increase the likelihood of lane departure warnings. These research findings support road safety stakeholders in developing risk assessments based on warning-based ADAS, targeted campaigns to reduce driving distraction, and driving coaching programs.

The risk perception of nanotechnology: evidence from twitter.

Nanotechnology governance, particularly in relation to human and environmental concerns, remains a contested domain. In recent years, the creation of both a risk governance framework and council has been actively pursued. Part of the function of a governance framework is the communication to external stakeholders. Existing descriptions on the public perceptions of nanotechnology are generally positive with the attendant economic and societal benefits being forefront in that thinking. Debates on nanomaterials' risk tend to be dominated by expert groupings while the general public is largely unaware of the potential hazards. Communicating via social media has become an integral part of everyday life facilitating public connectedness around specific topics that was not feasible in the pre-digital age. When civilian passive stakeholders become active their frustration can quickly coalesce into a campaign of resistance, and once an issue starts to develop into a campaign it is difficult to ease the momentum. Simmering discussions with moderate local attention can gain international exposure resulting in pressure and it can, in some cases, quickly precipitate legislative action and/or economic consequences. This paper highlights the potential of such a runaway, twitterstorm. We conducted a sentiment analysis of tweets since 2006 focusing on silver, titanium and carbon-based nanomaterials. We further examined the sentiment expressed following the decision by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to phase out the food additive titanium dioxide (E 171). Our analysis shows an engaged, attentive public, alert to announcements from industry and regulatory bodies. We demonstrate that risk governance frameworks, particularly the communication aspect of those structures must include a social media blueprint to counter misinformation and alleviate the potential impact of a social media induced regulatory and economic reaction.

A Machine Learning Tool to Predict the Antibacterial Capacity of Nanoparticles.

The emergence and rapid spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria strains are a public health concern. This emergence is caused by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics leading to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant strains. Nanoparticles (NPs) are objects with all three external dimensions in the nanoscale that varies from 1 to 100 nm. Research on NPs with enhanced antimicrobial activity as alternatives to antibiotics has grown due to the increased incidence of nosocomial and community acquired infections caused by pathogens. Machine learning (ML) tools have been used in the field of nanoinformatics with promising results. As a consequence of evident achievements on a wide range of predictive tasks, ML techniques are attracting significant interest across a variety of stakeholders. In this article, we present an ML tool that successfully predicts the antibacterial capacity of NPs while the model's validation demonstrates encouraging results (R2 = 0.78). The data were compiled after a literature review of 60 articles and consist of key physico-chemical (p-chem) properties and experimental conditions (exposure variables and bacterial clustering) from in vitro studies. Following data homogenization and pre-processing, we trained various regression algorithms and we validated them using diverse performance metrics. Finally, an important attribute evaluation, which ranks the attributes that are most important in predicting the outcome, was performed. The attribute importance revealed that NP core size, the exposure dose, and the species of bacterium are key variables in predicting the antibacterial effect of NPs. This tool assists various stakeholders and scientists in predicting the antibacterial effects of NPs based on their p-chem properties and diverse exposure settings. This concept also aids the safe-by-design paradigm by incorporating functionality tools.

Data Shepherding in Nanotechnology. The Initiation.

In this paper we describe the pragmatic approach of initiating, designing and implementing the Data Management Plan (DMP) and the data FAIRification process in the multidisciplinary Horizon 2020 nanotechnology project, Anticipating Safety Issues at the Design Stage of NAno Product Development (ASINA). We briefly describe the general DMP requirements, emphasizing that the initial steps in the direction towards data FAIRification must be conceptualized and visualized in a systematic way. We demonstrate the use of a generic questionnaire to capture primary data and metadata description from our consortium (data creators/experimentalists and data analysts/modelers). We then display the interactive process with external FAIR data initiatives (data curators/quality assessors), regarding guidance for data and metadata capturing and future integration into repositories. After the preliminary data capturing and FAIRification template is formed, the inner-communication process begins between the partners, which leads to developing case-specific templates. This paper assists future data creators, data analysts, stewards and shepherds engaged in the multi-faceted data shepherding process, in any project, by providing a roadmap, demonstrated in the case of ASINA.

Data Shepherding in Nanotechnology. The Exposure Field Campaign Template.

In this paper, we demonstrate the realization process of a pragmatic approach on developing a template for capturing field monitoring data in nanomanufacturing processes. The template serves the fundamental principles which make data scientifically Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR principles), as well as encouraging individuals to reuse it. In our case, the data shepherds' (the guider of data) template creation workflow consists of the following steps: (1) Identify relevant stakeholders, (2) Distribute questionnaires to capture a general description of the data to be generated, (3) Understand the needs and requirements of each stakeholder, (4) Interactive simple communication with the stakeholders for variables/descriptors selection, and (5) Design of the template and annotation of descriptors. We provide an annotated template for capturing exposure field campaign monitoring data, and increase their interoperability, while comparing it with existing templates. This paper enables the data creators of exposure field campaign data to store data in a FAIR way and helps the scientific community, such as data shepherds, by avoiding extensive steps for template creation and by utilizing the pragmatic structure and/or the template proposed herein, in the case of a nanotechnology project (Anticipating Safety Issues at the Design of Nano Product Development, ASINA).

Draft Genome Sequences of Two Cadophora Strains Isolated from Water and a Nonalcoholic Beverage Ingredient.

Members of the fungal genus Cadophora are isolated from a variety of habitats, including plants, soil, water, food, and indoor environments. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of two strains, Cadophora malorum M34 and Cadophora sp. strain M221.

Associations between mobility patterns and COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic: A network structure and rank propagation modelling approach.

BACKGROUND: From February 2020, both urban and rural Ireland witnessed the rapid proliferation of the COVID-19 disease throughout its counties. During this period, the national COVID-19 responses included stay-at-home directives issued by the state, subject to varying levels of enforcement. METHODS: In this paper, we present a new method to assess and rank the causes of Ireland COVID-19 deaths as it relates to mobility activities within each county provided by Google while taking into consideration the epidemiological confirmed positive cases reported per county. We used a network structure and rank propagation modelling approach using Personalised PageRank to reveal the importance of each mobility category linked to cases and deaths. Then a novel feature-selection method using relative prominent factors finds important features related to each county's death. Finally, we clustered the counties based on features selected with the network results using a customised network clustering algorithm for the research problem. FINDINGS: Our analysis reveals that the most important mobility trend categories that exhibit the strongest association to COVID-19 cases and deaths include retail and recreation and workplaces. This is the first time a network structure and rank propagation modelling approach has been used to link COVID-19 data to mobility patterns. The infection determinants landscape illustrated by the network results aligns soundly with county socio-economic and demographic features. The novel feature selection and clustering method presented clusters useful to policymakers, managers of the health sector, politicians and even sociologists. Finally, each county has a different impact on the national total.

ASINA Project: Towards a Methodological Data-Driven Sustainable and Safe-by-Design Approach for the Development of Nanomaterials.

The novel chemical strategy for sustainability calls for a Sustainable and Safe-by-Design (SSbD) holistic approach to achieve protection of public health and the environment, industrial relevance, societal empowerment, and regulatory preparedness. Based on it, the ASINA project expands a data-driven Management Methodology (ASINA-SMM) capturing quality, safety, and sustainability criteria across the Nano-Enabled Products' (NEPs) life cycle. We base the development of this methodology through value chains of highly representative classes of NEPs in the market, namely, (i) self-cleaning/air-purifying/antimicrobial coatings and (ii) nano-structured capsules delivering active phases in cosmetics. These NEPs improve environmental quality and human health/wellness and have innovative competence to industrial sectors such as healthcare, textiles, cosmetics, and medical devices. The purpose of this article is to visually exhibit and explain the ASINA approach, which allows identifying, combining, and addressing the following pillars: environmental impact, techno-economic performance, functionality, and human and environmental safety when developing novel NEPs, at an early stage. A metamodel supports the above by utilizing quality data collected throughout the NEPs' life cycle, for maximization of functionality (to meet stakeholders needs) and nano-safety (regulatory obligations) and for the minimization of costs (to meet business requirements) and environmental impacts (to achieve sustainability). Furthermore, ASINA explores digitalization opportunities (digital twins) to speed the nano-industry translation into automatic progress towards economic, social, environmental, and governance sustainability.

A new version of the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS). Insights from a randomised sample of 700 German young novice drivers.

In Germany, every year 66,000 road crashes lead to death or injury of young novice drivers. This makes them twice as likely to be involved in, or cause, vehicle crashes compared to their older and more experienced counterparts. This study aims to address this societal issue by developing a better understanding of the German young driver problem. For this purpose, we created an updated, 55-item strong version of the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS), originally developed by Scott-Parker et al. in 2010. To make the new version of the BYNDS understandable for German young novice drivers, this research used a new method of translation in combination with extensive pre-testing. As a result, we identified possible threats for response errors such as retrospective formulated questions or double negations. Due the adjustment of the possible sources of error the presented version of the BYNDS is semantically and conceptually different from the original. However, due to the application of the updated version of the BYNDS in a robust sample of 700 participants, this paper presents the first reliable and validated tool to measure novices risky driving behaviour in Germany. Moreover, it offers an updated and extended version of the BYNDS that allows practitioners but also researchers to broaden their understanding of young driver risk.

Exploring the role of delta-V in influencing occupant injury severities - A mediation analysis approach to motor vehicle collisions.

This study investigates the impact that delta-V, the relative change in vehicle velocity pre- and post-crash, has on the severity of motor vehicle collisions (MVCs). We study injury severity using two metrics for each occupant - the number of injuries suffered, and the probability of suffering a serious or worse (MAIS 3+) injury. We use a cross-sectional set of generally-representative MVC data between 2010 and 2015 as a basis for our research. Collision factors that influence the crash environment are combined with the injuries that were suffered in MVCs. The influence of delta-V is captured using a mediation analysis, whereby delta-V acts as the focal point between crash factors and injury outcome. The mediation approach adds to existing research by presenting a detailed view of the relationship between injury severity, delta-V and other collision factors. We find evidence of competitive mediation, wherein a collision factor's positive association with injury severity is offset by a negative association with delta-V. Neglecting to include delta-V in our study would have let the factor's association with injury severity go undiscovered. In addition, certain collision factors are found to be related to injury severity solely because of delta-V, while others are found to have a significant impact regardless of delta-V. Our results support the multitude of policy recommendations that promote seatbelt use and warn against alcohol-impaired driving, and support the proliferation of safety-enabled vehicles whose technology can mitigate the bodily damage associated with detrimental crash types.

Reduction of Health Care-Associated Infections (HAIs) with Antimicrobial Inorganic Nanoparticles Incorporated in Medical Textiles: An Economic Assessment.

Health care-associated infections (HAIs) affect millions of patients annually with up to 80,000 affected in Europe on any given day. This represents a significant societal and economic burden. Staff training, hand hygiene, patient identification and isolation and controlled antibiotic use are some of the standard ways to reduce HAI incidence but this is time consuming and subject and subject to rigorous implementation. In addition, the lack of antimicrobial activity of some disinfectants against healthcare-associated pathogens may also affect the efficacy of disinfection practices. Textiles are an attractive substrate for pathogens because of contact with the human body with the attendant warmth and moisture. Textiles and surfaces coated with engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) have shown considerable promise in reducing the microbial burden on those surfaces. Studies have also shown that this antimicrobial affect can reduce the incidence of HAIs. For all of the promising research, there has been an absence of study on the economic effectiveness of ENM coated materials in a healthcare setting. This article examines the relative economic efficacy of ENM coated materials against an antiseptic approach. The goal is to establish the economic efficacy of the widespread usage of ENM coated materials in a healthcare setting. In the absence of detailed and segregated costs, benefits and control variables over at least cross sectional data or time series, an aggregated approach is warranted. This approach, while relying on some supposition allows for a comparison with similar data regarding standard treatment to reduce HAIs and provides a reasonable economic comparison. We find that while, relative to antiseptics, ENM coated textiles represent a significant clinical advantage, they can also offer considerable cost savings.