Strandporterfield6156

coli inactivation, while both superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were important for S. aureus inactivation. Quantitative changes in fatty acids, potassium ions, proteins and DNA of the bacterial suspensions suggested that the higher resistance of E. coli in the early inactivation stage could be originated from the difference in the phospholipid repair system in cell membrane structures. This study can provide new insights into research and development of a safe and effective disinfection technology for drinking water.A tube-feeding model for administering microplastic (MP, Ø = 30 μm) spheres to fish larvae was employed to quantify the uptake of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) into the larval body through a single administration of MP. Polychlorinated biphenyl-153 (PCB-153) was used as a representative HOC that can be sorbed to MP in the sea. Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) larvae (34-51 days post-hatching) were selected as the animal model. The herring larvae were tube-fed a single load of up to 200 polystyrene or polyethylene MP spheres spiked with 14C-labelled PCB-153, and the control larvae were tube-fed an isotonic solution without MP. At the time of sampling (24 h post feeding), some larvae had evacuated all MP spheres from the gut, while others still had MP remaining in the gut. In larvae with a significant number of MP spheres still present in the gut, whole-body scintillation counting (including the MP in the gut lumen) showed elevated levels of the tracer compared to those in the control fish larvae. For larvae in which all or almost all MP had been evacuated by the time of sampling, the tracer levels of the whole body were not significantly different compared to those for the control fish larvae. These data indicate that there was no significant transfer of PCB-153 from contaminated MP into fish larvae within a gut-transit time of less then 24 h. This study suggests that the vector role of MP in HOC uptake and absorption may be minor compared to that of other HOC uptake pathways.Fish consumption and chronic exposure to low doses of mercury (Hg) seems to activate several molecular mechanisms leading to carcinogenic and/or teratogenic processes. However, Hg genotoxic effects on humans are not completely described. In the present study, we assessed cytogenetic damage in isolated human peripheral lymphocytes using the cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome assay (CBMN-Cyt), micronucleus formation with anti-kinetochore antibody (CREST staining), levels of total Hg in hair (T-Hg), fish consumption, and estimated Hg dose. The study comprised 39 non-exposed, and 73 residents from La Mojana region, an area with a well-documented Hg contamination. Data showed a significant increase in micronuclei (MNBN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPB), and necrotic and apoptotic cell frequencies in residents of "La Mojana." The overall mean T-Hg level in hair for exposed residents was 1.12 ± 0.94 mg kg-1 and 0.15 ± 0.05 in individuals from the reference area. Approximately 40% of analyzed individuals showed T-Hg levels that exceeded US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) reference dose. Increased T-Hg levels in hair were related to increased MNBN frequencies and high fish consumption. Other cellular markers, such as necrotic and apoptotic cell frequencies, were also correlated with high fish intake and T-Hg contents. Results of the CREST staining demonstrated that in vivo exposure to Hg induces genetic instability by chromosome fragment loss (clastogenic). Additionally, a high average intake of some fish species, particularly with carnivorous habits like Caquetaia kraussii, Hoplias malabaricus, and Sorubin cuspicaudus, seems to increase MNBN frequencies significantly.The reuse of treated wastewater (TWW) and sewage sludge are considered as solutions to the limited water resource and sludge disposal issues, respectively. The associated environmental and human health risks need to be analyzed to assess whether they are safe solutions or not. This paper discusses issues that relate to the accumulation of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance (AR) determinants in agricultural lands and crops, following TWW irrigation and biosolid amendment. Exposure assessment and dose-response assessment are the two important aspects of risk assessment discussed in this paper. Finally, research gaps in current knowledge that are relevant to a comprehensive and quantitative AR risk assessment were identified which includes 1.) Studies on soil conditions that increase the frequency of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) between native soil resistome and pathogenic microbes in biosolids and TWW 2.) Holistic studies that examine the accumulation or dissipation of antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from the irrigation/biosolids application stage to crop consumption stage 3.) The influences of soil environmental conditions (e.g. salinity, nutrients) on the fate of ARB and ARGs in soil and translocation in edible plants 4.) The development of dose-response models that explicitly incorporate the potential for ARGs transfer between microbes when quantifying the risks of infection due to ARB.

Intra-cavitary brachytherapy (ICB) remains an integral part of radiotherapy treatment in cervical cancer. Two-dimensional X ray point-based planning remains common and blind insertion leads to uterine perforations and higher toxicity. We conducted a randomised controlled trial of using trans-abdominal ultrasound in performing ICB to reduce perforation and organ at risk doses.

The present study is a phase III open label randomised controlled trial of ultrasound guided ICB conducted on invasive cervical cancer patients. Patients were randomised by a simple computer-generated randomization chart into Arm A (No Ultrasound guidance) and Arm B (ICB with ultrasound guidance). The uterine perforation rates, tandem length change rates, bladder doses, rectal dose and procedure times were compared. Fischer exact test was used to compare the arms and p value <0.05 considered significant.

A total of 160 patients were randomised. With US assistance, the uterine perforation rate was 1.25% (n=1). In the non-US assistance arm the perforation rate was 12.5% (n=10) (p=0.005). Mean time to complete the entire procedure was significantly shortened from 26min to 19min favouring the US arm (p=0.001). Dosimetric assessment between the two groups showed significant decrease in dose received by the various organs at risk with US assistance.

The present study confirms significant improvement in application quality as well as dosimetry with reduction in procedure time. Trans-Abdominal US should be routinely used for ICB procedures, particularly in resource limited settings.

The present study confirms significant improvement in application quality as well as dosimetry with reduction in procedure time. Trans-Abdominal US should be routinely used for ICB procedures, particularly in resource limited settings.

To describe our single-institution oncologic outcomes of patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval debulking surgery (IDS) with or without hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).

We compared clinicopathologic information and outcomes for all patients with advanced stage, high-grade serous ovarian cancer who received NACT and IDS with (N = 20) or without (N = 48) HIPEC at our institution from 2010 to 2019 RESULTS Mean age (62 years with HIPEC and 60 years without HIPEC) and proportion of stage 4 disease (40% for both) did not differ between cohorts. HIPEC patients had higher rates of complete cytoreduction (95% vs 50%), longer mean duration of surgery (530 vs. 216 min), more grade 3 or 4 postoperative complications (65% vs. 4%), and longer mean length of hospital stay (8 vs. 5 days). HIPEC patients had significantly higher risk for platinum-refractory progression or platinum-resistance recurrence (50% vs 23%; RR = 2.18; 95% CI 1.11, 4.30, p = 0.024). Median progression f3 or 4 postoperative complications (65% vs. 4%), and longer mean length of hospital stay (8 vs. 5 days). HIPEC patients had significantly higher risk for platinum-refractory progression or platinum-resistance recurrence (50% vs 23%; RR = 2.18; 95% CI 1.11, 4.30, p = 0.024). Median progression free survival (11.5 vs. 12 months) and all-cause mortality (19.1 vs. 30.5 months) in the HIPEC and non-HIPEC cohorts, respectively, did not differ CONCLUSIONS HIPEC was associated with increased risk for platinum refractory or resistant disease. Higher surgical complexity may contribute to higher complication rates without improving oncologic outcomes in our patients. Further investigations and long-term follow-up are needed to assess the utility of HIPEC in primary treatment of advanced stage ovarian cancer.Active braking control systems in high-speed trains are vital to ensure safety and are intended to reduce brake distances and prevent the wheels from locking. The slip ratio, which represents the relative difference between the wheel speed and vehicle velocity, is crucial to the design and successful implementation of active braking control systems. Slip ratio estimation and active braking control are challenging owing to the uncertainties of wheel-rail adhesion and system nonlinearities. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel adaptive slip ratio estimation approach for the active braking control based on an improved extended state observer. The extended state observer is developed through the augmentation of the system state-space to estimate the unmeasured train states as well as the model uncertainty. The accurate slip ratio is estimated using the observed extended states. Furthermore, the adaptability of the observer is improved by introducing the beetle antennae search algorithm to determine the optimal observer parameters. Finally, a feedback linearization braking control law is established to stabilize the closed-loop system due to its potential in coping with nonlinearities, which benefits the proven theoretical bounded stability. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.The basic Bode's ideal transfer function (BITF) based controller may not guarantee sufficient disturbance rejection for a class of plants with a cascaded integrator. In this paper, an improved BITF based control method is proposed to enhance the disturbance rejection performance for this class of control systems. A fractional order proportional-integral controller and a Bode's ideal cut-off filter are introduced into the BITF based control strategy, improving the open-loop magnitude characteristics of the control system in the low and high frequency ranges. Therefore, the disturbance rejection performance of the control system can be improved, with small impact on the system's stability. The improved BITF based control method is applied to the speed control problem of a class of permanent magnet synchronous motor servo systems. The robustness and dynamic response performances of the improved BITF based control system are verified by simulation and experiments. Performance comparisons are performed between the system using the improved BITF based control method and those using some existing control methods. Simulation and experimental results both show that the improved BITF based controller can enhance the step response performance and robustness of the PMSM servo system simultaneously and make the system achieve better disturbance rejection performance than the systems using some existing methods.The dynamic event-based asynchronous and resilient dissipative filter design for Markov jump singularly perturbed systems (MJSPSs) against stochastic deception attacks is discussed in this paper. Firstly, a novel dynamic event-based transmission protocol is provided to further decrease the proportion of sampled data into network. The effect of deception attacks is formulated as a random variable satisfying the Bernoulli distribution. And an asynchronous filter is delicately constructed. Based on the technique of linear matrix inequality (LMI), efficient criteria of stochastically stable for the filtering error systems with a predetermined dissipative performance are obtained. An effective method of jointly design the proposed dynamic event-triggered transmission protocol and the non-synchronous filter is offered. Lastly, a numerical instance and a resistance-capacitance (RC) circuit system are provided to display the effectiveness and the benefit of the developed method.Ionizing radiation interacts with the immune system in many ways with a multiplicity that mirrors the complexity of the immune system itself namely the need to maintain a delicate balance between different compartments, cells and soluble factors that work collectively to protect, maintain, and restore tissue function in the face of severe challenges including radiation damage. The cytotoxic effects of high dose radiation are less relevant after low dose exposure, where subtle quantitative and functional effects predominate that may go unnoticed until late after exposure or after a second challenge reveals or exacerbates the effects. For example, low doses may permanently alter immune fitness and therefore accelerate immune senescence and pave the way for a wide spectrum of possible pathophysiological events, including early-onset of age-related degenerative disorders and cancer. By contrast, the so called low dose radiation therapy displays beneficial, anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties in chronic inflammatory and degenerative diseases. In this review, epidemiological, clinical and experimental data regarding the effects of low-dose radiation on the homeostasis and functional integrity of immune cells will be discussed, as will be the role of immune-mediated mechanisms in the systemic manifestation of localized exposures such as inflammatory reactions. The central conclusion is that ionizing radiation fundamentally and durably reshapes the immune system. Further, the importance of discovery of immunological pathways for modifying radiation resilience amongst other research directions in this field is implied.Although interest in the role of donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) in kidney transplant rejection, graft survival, and histopathological outcomes is increasing, their impact on steroid avoidance or minimization in renal transplant populations is poorly understood. Primary outcomes of graft survival, rejection, and histopathological findings were assessed in 188 patients who received transplants between 2012 and 2015 at the Scripps Center for Organ Transplantation, which follows a steroid avoidance protocol. Analyses were performed using data from the United Network for Organ Sharing. Cohorts included kidney transplant recipients with de novo DSAs (dnDSAs; n = 27), preformed DSAs (pfDSAs; n = 15), and no DSAs (nDSAs; n = 146). Median time to dnDSA development (classes I and II) was shorter (102 days) than in previous studies. Rejection of any type was associated with DSAs to class I HLA (P 5000 showed a trend toward more antibody-mediated rejection (P less then .06), though graft loss was not independently associated. Banff chronic allograft nephropathy scores and a modified chronic injury score were increased in the dnDSA cohort at 6 months, but not at 2 years (P less then .001 and P less then .08, respectively). Our data suggest that dnDSAs and pfDSAs impact short-term rejection rates but do not negatively impact graft survival or histopathological outcomes at 2 years. Periodic protocol post-transplant DSA monitoring may preemptively identify patients who develop dnDSAs who are at a higher risk for rejection.

Families play a prominent role in the eventual organ donation decision. Because the deceased cannot directly express their wishes, their families become the actual decision makers. In China, families are permitted to make decisions regarding organ donation that may not be in accordance with the wishes of the deceased family member, and objections by families are a main bottleneck in the donation process.

Face-to-face questioning was conducted with organ procurement organization coordinators. At the same time, questionnaires were distributed in 11 cities in Zhejiang Province.

Of the respondents, 69.9% considered family consent necessary and 77.1% thought that the view of their family had a great, even decisive, influence on them to decide to become donors. If the deceased family member had registered as an organ donor, 65.2% of families decided that they would respect the wishes of the deceased person. Adult children (58.6%) were more likely to donate than parents (37.4%; χ

= 123.009, P< .001). Those born after 2000 and after 1990 (62.5% and 52.8%, respectively) were much more likely to donate than those born after 1960 (18.1%; χ

= 191.485, P< .001). The interviews indicated that there were high rates of donation refusals within potential donation families. Most donor families chose to make hidden donations, and the majority of donor families had a simple family structure.

To promote organ donation, China needs to reconsider the role of families in the decision-making process. It is essential to increase organ donation awareness within the younger generation and encourage them to discuss with their families their willingness to donate.

To promote organ donation, China needs to reconsider the role of families in the decision-making process. It is essential to increase organ donation awareness within the younger generation and encourage them to discuss with their families their willingness to donate.

Day-case pediatric sedation is challenging. Dexmedetomidine is a sedative analgesic that does not induce respiratory depression. We compared dexmedetomidine to propofol when it was added to ketamine for sedation during pediatric endoscopy, regarding recovery time and hemodynamic changes.

We enrolled 120 patients (2-7 years in age) and randomly assigned them into two groups. Each patient received intravenous (IV) ketamine at a dose of 1 mg.kg

in addition to either propofol (1 mg.kg

) or dexmedetomidine (0.5 μg.kg

). The recovery time was compared. Hemodynamics, oxygen saturation, need for additional doses, postoperative complications and endoscopist satisfaction were monitored.

There was no significant difference in hemodynamics between the groups. The Propofol-Ketamine (P-K) group showed significantly shorter recovery times than the Dexmedetomidine-Ketamine (D-K) group (21.25 and 29.75 minutes respectively, p <0.001). The P-K group showed more oxygen desaturation. Eleven and six patients experienced SpO

<92% in groups P-K and D-K, respectively. A significant difference was noted regarding the need for additional doses; 10% of patients in the D-K group needed one extra dose, and 5% needed two extra doses, compared to 25% and 20% in the P-K group, respectively (p=0.001). The P-K group showed less post-procedure nausea and vomiting. No statistically significant difference between both groups regarding endoscopist satisfaction.

The P-K combination was associated with a shorter recovery time in pediatric upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, while the D-K combination showed less need for additional doses.

Clinical trials.gov (NCT02863861).

Clinical trials.gov (NCT02863861).

Whether adhesive zirconia ceramic removable partial denture attachments are feasible with current technology is unclear.

The purpose of this finite element analysis and invitro study was to evaluate the effect of the lever arm, tooth preparation, and aging on the loading of the tooth-zirconia attachment interface.

Three different finite element analysis (FEA) models allowing for the loading of an adhesive attachment either directly or through a removable partial denture were used. Two models represented a human tooth with 2 different types of attachments, while the third model also included a removable partial denture. For the evaluation of bond strength, a combination of shear and hydrostatic stress was used. In addition, composite resin teeth were fabricated, and zirconia bars were bonded to them with varying tooth preparations and lever arm lengths. In 1 group the influence of aging was analyzed. Fracture load was determined by using a universal testing machine. Statistical analysis was based on the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, ANOVA, and Games-Howell test (α=.05).

The maximum stress of 65 MPa occurring in the bonding area was reduced to 37 MPa by adding a retainer to the attachment. Loading of the denture resulted in a maximum stress of 9 MPa. Mean fracture loads ranged from 33.6 N to 209.1 N. Preparing a flat bonding surface showed a nonsignificant increase (P=.197), whereas aging led to a nonsignificant decrease in fracture load (P=.075). A lever arm extended by 2 mm significantly reduced fracture load (P=.002). The addition of an occlusal-distal (OD)cavity led to a nonsignificant increase (P=.186), which became significant when a mesial-occlusal-distal (MOD)preparation was applied (P=.001).

Adhesive zirconia attachments should use a MOD cavity and have a cross section of at least 2.5×2.5 mm. The attachment should not extend more than 3 mm.

Adhesive zirconia attachments should use a MOD cavity and have a cross section of at least 2.5×2.5 mm. The attachment should not extend more than 3 mm.

Assess the antibacterial, physical and chemical properties of AH Plus, BioRoot RCS and Pulp Canal Sealer (PCS) in contact with 2% chlorhexidine digluconate (CHX) used as final irrigant prior to root canal obturation.

The antimicrobial properties were investigated by direct contact tests for planktonic and biofilm growth of E. faecalis, S. mutans, S.epidermidis and S.aureus in vitro. The setting time, wettability, microhardness and surface roughness were also assessed. The sealers were studied in no contact, 1-minute (short-term) and continuous contact (long-term) with CHX. Chemical characterization of sealers was performed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy after CHX or saline used as the last irrigant in an ex vivo tooth model and in endo training blocks.

CHX increased the antibacterial activity of all the sealers investigated against planktonic bacteria and biofilms with PCS exerting the highest antimicrobial activity with and without the presence of CHX. The setting of AH Plus and BioRoot RCS was retarded, while for PCS accelerated in the presence of CHX. AH Plus and PCS were more hydrophilic after contact with CHX, whilst BioRoot RCS was hydrophobic in a time-dependent manner. The microhardness of sealers was compromised and the surface roughness increased after CHX exposure for AH Plus and BioRoot RCS, and decreased for PCS. CHX did not affect the sealers' chemistry, but PCS that exhibited two extra phases.

CHX improved the antibacterial efficacy of endodontic sealers but further evidence is needed to confirm its suitability as a final irrigant prior to root canal obturation.

CHX improved the antibacterial efficacy of endodontic sealers but further evidence is needed to confirm its suitability as a final irrigant prior to root canal obturation.

A suicide attempt (SA) is a major risk factor of recurrent SA in adolescence and may be associated with psychological or social problems in the future. REPEATERS is a longitudinal study which examines the long-term psychosocial outcome of adolescents following attempted suicide. It focuses on the impact of early recurrence (i.e., within the first year of the index SA)-data which is, in fact, poorly documented.

Ten years after the index SA, a self-reporting questionnaire was sent to all adolescents who had attempted suicide and were followed up by the CHRU (Regional University Hospital Centre) de Nancy, France, between 1994 and 2003 and their parents. The purpose of this questionnaire was to assess psychosocial outcomes. Data concerning SA were collected retrospectively.

After ten years, 146 of the 309 adolescents who had attempted suicide and were participating in the study had responded 90% lived with a partner and 41% had children. The mean (SD) current emotional life of suicide attempt survivors scoricide, some with a lower level of education were nevertheless at increased risk of recurrence and depression. Post-intervention strategies are therefore essential in order to evaluate risk factors which may persist if not taken into consideration.

Orthodontic miniscrews have become popular tools for providing temporary anchorage during orthodontic treatment. Although they are easy to insert, damage to the periodontal ligament or dental root during insertion is an unfavorable iatrogenic complication. Root perforation during miniscrew insertion in human teeth has been reported in a few articles. In this article, the authors describe the spontaneous repair of an iatrogenic root perforation in a mandibular first molar that occurred during insertion of an orthodontic miniscrew in a young girl undergoing orthodontic treatment.

A 15-year-old girl with malocclusion was undergoing orthodontic treatment when the mesial root of her mandibular right first molar was damaged by an orthodontic miniscrew. The miniscrew and corresponding bracket were immediately removed to avoid any unnecessary forces on the tooth. Because the pulp remained vital without any additional damage and infection for 6 months, orthodontic treatment was resumed and completed in 9 months wis.

The use of perioperative chemotherapy (CT) in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma increases their overall survival. This therapy may also increase the number of patients with R0 resection. Potential drawbacks of this therapy, besides its toxicity, include increased surgical morbidity.

We retrospectively evaluated the records of patients undergoing gastrectomy with curative intent, for carcinoma, at our institution between January 2009 and August 2018. They were divided into two groups direct surgery (SURG) and perioperative CT (CHEMO). Patients with other neoadjuvant therapies and cardia Siewert I and II carcinomas were excluded. The primary objective was to evaluate the impact of perioperative CT on surgical morbidity. As secondary objectives, resection radicality and total lymph node count were compared between the two groups.

A total of 307 patients (97 direct surgery and 210 perioperative CT) were evaluated. Median age was 67 years old. The overall major surgical morbidity (Clavien-Dindo 3-5) was 10.6% in the CHEMO group and 12.4 in the SURG group (p=0.643). There was no statistically significant difference between the surgical radicality (R0 98% in the SURG group vs 97.5% CHEMO group (p=0.865). There was an increase in the total number of lymph nodes retrieved in the specimen in the CHEMO group (25 vs 22, p=0.001), a difference that was not maintained in the subgroup analysis as a function of the surgery performed.

Perioperative CT in gastric carcinoma does not increase surgical morbidity, surgical radicality and total lymph node count.

Perioperative CT in gastric carcinoma does not increase surgical morbidity, surgical radicality and total lymph node count.Abnormal systemic arterial supply to the lungs can be seen in various congenital and acquired diseases. Identification and characterisation of aberrant vascular supply is essential for further management and treatment. Multidetector computed tomography (CT) with its multiplanar capabilities and volume-rendering techniques provides precise information regarding the anatomy and spatial relationship of arterial vascular channels. The following concise review elucidates the characteristic imaging findings of conditions in which systemic arteries are seen supplying the lung parenchyma on dual-source CT.

To evaluate the accuracy of ultra-low-dose computed tomography (ULDCT) with ASiR-V using a noise index (SmartmA) for pulmonary nodule detection and Lung CT Screening Reporting And Data System (Lung-RADS) classifications compared with low-dose CT (LDCT).

Two-hundred and ten patients referred for lung cancer screening underwent conventional chest LDCT (0.80±0.28 mSv) followed immediately by ULDCT (0.16±0.03 mSv). ULDCT was scanned using 120 kV/SmartmA with a noise index of 28 HU and reconstructed with ASiR-V70%. The types and diameters of all nodules were recorded. The attenuation of pure ground-glass nodules (pGGNs) was measured on LDCT. All nodules were further classified using Lung-RADS. Sensitivities of nodule detection on ULDCT were analysed using LDCT as the reference standard. Logistic regression was used to establish a prediction model for the sensitivity of nodules.

LDCT revealed 362 nodules and the overall sensitivity on ULDCT was 90.1%. The sensitivity for solid nodules (SNs) of ≥1 mm diameter was 96.6% (228/236) and 100% (26/26) for SNs of ≥6 mm diameter. For pGGNs of ≥6 mm, the overall sensitivity was 93% (40/43) and 100% (29/29) for nodules with a attenuation value -700 HU or more. The agreement of Lung-RADS classification between two scans was good. On logistic regression, diameter was the only independent predictor for sensitivity of SNs (p<0.05). Diameter and attenuation value were predictors for pGGNs (p<0.05).

ULDCT with ASiR-V using SmartmA is suitable for lung-cancer screening in people with a BMI ≤35 kg/m

as it has a low radiation dose of 0.16 mSv, high sensitivity for nodule detection and good performance of Lung-RADS classifications.

ULDCT with ASiR-V using SmartmA is suitable for lung-cancer screening in people with a BMI ≤35 kg/m2 as it has a low radiation dose of 0.16 mSv, high sensitivity for nodule detection and good performance of Lung-RADS classifications.

To construct and validate a radiomics-based machine-learning method for preoperative prediction of distant metastasis (DM) from soft-tissue sarcoma.

Seventy-seven soft-tissue sarcomas were divided into a training set (n=54) and a validation set (n=23). The performance of three feature selection methods (ReliefF, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator [LASSO], and regularised discriminative feature selection for unsupervised learning [UDFS]) and four classifiers, random forest (RF), logistic regression (LOG), K nearest neighbour (KNN), and support vector machines (SVMs), were compared for predicting the likelihood of DM. To counter the imbalance in the frequencies of DM, each machine-learning method was trained first without subsampling, then with the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). The performance of the radiomics model was assessed using area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) and accuracy (ACC) values.

The performance of the LASSO and SVM algorithm combination used with SMOTE was superior to that of the algorithm combination alone. The combination of SMOTE with feature screening by LASSO and SVM classifiers had an AUC of 0.9020 and ACC of 91.30% in the validation dataset.

A machine-learning model based on radiomics was favourable for predicting the likelihood of DM from soft-tissue sarcoma. This will help decide treatment strategies.

A machine-learning model based on radiomics was favourable for predicting the likelihood of DM from soft-tissue sarcoma. This will help decide treatment strategies.Little to no recovery in Acropora cervicornis populations has been documented since the 1970s and 1980s widespread disease events, and disease and predation appear to remain significant drivers of mortality. However, to date, demographic studies of A. cervicornis lack data temporally or spatially sufficient to quantify factors limiting recovery. Acropora cervicornis populations in three regions [Broward County (BWD), Middle Keys (MDK), and Dry Tortugas (DRTO)] of the Florida Reef Tract were surveyed up to three times per year from 2011 to 2015. Temporal and spatial differences were evaluated for colony size, live tissue volume, and prevalence and impact of disease and predation. Significantly larger colonies were reported in BWD, and at relatively deeper or more sheltered sites. At least 43% of colonies in each region were of reproductively capable size. Mean relative change in colony size between surveys (3-5 months) ranged from -20% to 19%. Disease and predation were consistently present in all regions, but levels varied significantly across space and time. Disease prevalence was the most variable condition (ranging from 0% to 28% per survey), increasing after periods of elevated temperatures and environmental disturbances, and caused significantly more partial mortality than fireworm (Hermodice carunculata) or snail (Coralliophila spp.) predation. Recovery potential and long-term persistence of this species may be limited due to the persistent presence of disease and predation, and reproductive limitations. However, there is still potential at sites of greater depth and/or more protection hosted larger and healthier colonies creating potential refugia for this species.Chronic coral reef degradation has been characterized by a significant decline in the population abundance and live tissue cover of scleractinian corals across the wider Caribbean. Acropora cervicornis is among the species whose populations have suffered an unprecedented collapse throughout the region. This species, which once dominated the shallow-water reef communities, is susceptible to a wide range of stressors, resulting in a general lack of recovery following disturbances. A. cervicornis is a critical contributor to the structure, function, and resilience of Caribbean coral reefs. Therefore, it is essential to identify the factors that influence their demographic and population performance. Diseases are one of the factors that are compromising the recovery of coral populations. In this chapter, we use size-based population matrix models to evaluate the population-level effect of a Shut Down Reaction Disease (SDR) outbreak, one of the less-understood diseases affecting this coral. The model was parameterer similarly virulent disease could thus be a major driver of local extinction events of A. cervicornis.The invasive brittle star Ophiothela mirabilis (family Ophiotrichidae), a tropical Indo-Pacific endemic species, first reported in Atlantic waters off southern Brazil in 2000, has extended its range northward to the Caribbean Sea, to the Lesser Antilles in 2011, and was first reported in south Florida in January 2019. Its occurrence in southeast Florida extends along nearly 70km of coastline, from near the Port of Miami, Miami-Dade County, northward to Deerfield Beach, Broward County. It occurs abundantly as an epizoite on octocorals, attaining population densities of 25 individuals and more per 10-cm long octocoral stem. The surface texture of octocoral hosts (rough, smooth) did not affect the densities of the ophiuroid epizoites, and there were significantly greater abundances on octocorals during two winter sampling periods than in the summer. Beige and orange-coloured morphs are sometimes present on the same octocoral stem. Gut content analysis supported a suspension feeding mode, revealing essentially ides offering protection from predators, and an effective competitive edge over associated microbiota for substrate space.Octocorals are important zoobenthic organisms, contributing to structural heterogeneity and species diversity on hardgrounds. Their persistence amidst global coral reef degradation and ocean acidification, has prompted renewed interest in this taxon. Octocoral assemblages at 52 sites in continental Ecuador and Galápagos (23 species, 3742 colonies) were examined for composition, size distributions within and among populations, and connectivity patterns based on ocean current models. Species richness varied from 1 to 14 species per site, with the richest sites on the continent. Three assemblage clusters were recognised based on species richness and population size, one with a mix of sites from the mainland and Galápagos (defined by Muricea fruticosa and Leptogorgia alba, Muricea plantaginea and Pacifigorgia darwinii), the second from Santa Elena in southern Ecuador (defined by M. plantaginea and L. alba) and the third from the northernmost sites on the continent, in Esmeraldas (defined by Muricea fruticosa, Heterogorgia hickmani, Leptogorgia manabiensis). Based on biophysical larval flow models with 30, 60, 90-day Pelagic Larval Duration, good connectivity existed along the South American mainland, and from the continent to Galápagos. Connectivity between Galápagos, Cocos, Malpelo and the Colombian mainland may explain the wide distribution of L. alba. Muricea plantaginea had the densest populations with the largest colonies and therewith was an important habitat provider both in continental Ecuador and Galápagos. Continental Ecuador harbours the most speciose populations of octocorals so far recorded in the southern Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP). Most species were uncommon and possibly vulnerable to local extirpation. The present study may serve as a base line to determine local and regional impacts of future disturbances on ETP octocorals.Coral reefs throughout the tropics have experienced large declines in the abundance of scleractinian corals over the last few decades, and some reefs are becoming functionally dominated by animal taxa other than scleractinians. This phenomenon is striking on many shallow reefs in the tropical western Atlantic, where arborescent octocorals now are numerically and functionally dominant. Octocorals are one of several taxa that have been overlooked for decades in analyses of coral reef community dynamics, and our understanding of why octocorals are favoured (whereas scleractinians are not) on some modern reefs, and how they will affect the function of future reef communities, is not commensurate with the task of scientifically responding to the coral reef crisis. We summarize the biological and ecological features predisposing octocorals for success under contemporary conditions, and focus on those features that could have generated resistance and resilience of octocoral populations to environmental change on modern reefs. There is a rich set of opportunities for rapid advancement in understanding the factors driving the success of octocorals on modern reefs, but we underscore three lines of inquiry (1) the functional implications of strongly mixotrophic, polytrophic, and plastic nutrition, (2) the capacity to recruit at high densities and maintain rapid initial rates of vertical growth, and (3) the emergent properties associated with dense animal forests at high colony densities.Caribbean reefs have experienced unprecedented changes in the past four decades. Of great concern is the perceived widespread shift from coral to macroalgal dominance and the question of whether it represents a new, stable equilibrium for coral-reef communities. The primary causes of the shift-grazing pressure (top-down), nutrient loading (bottom-up) or direct coral mortality (side-in)-still remain somewhat controversial in the coral-reef literature. We have attempted to tease out the relative importance of each of these causes. Four insights emerge from our analysis of an early regional dataset of information on the benthic composition of Caribbean reefs spanning the years 1977-2001. First, although three-quarters of reef sites have experienced coral declines concomitant with macroalgal increases, fewer than 10% of the more than 200 sites studied were dominated by macroalgae in 2001, by even the most conservative definition of dominance. Using relative dominance as the threshold, a total of 49 coral-to-macro restoring critical components such as the herbivorous sea urchin Diadema antillarum to the system. The five instances in which macroalgal dominance was reversed corroborate the conclusion that macroalgal dominance is not a stable, alternative community state as has been commonly assumed. Fourth, the fact that the loss in regional coral cover and concomitant changes to the benthic community are related to punctuated, discrete events with known causes (i.e. coral disease and bleaching), lends credence to the hypothesis that coral reefs of the Caribbean have been under assault from climate-change-related maladies since the 1970s.Changes in the size structure of coral populations have major consequences for population dynamics and community function, yet many coral reef monitoring projects do not record this critical feature. Consequently, our understanding of current and future trajectories in coral size structure, and the demographic processes underlying these changes, is still emerging. Here, we provide a conceptual summary of the benefits to be gained from more comprehensive attention to the size of coral colonies in reef monitoring projects, and we support our argument through the use of case-history examples and a simplified ecological model. We neither seek to review the available empirical data, or to rigorously explore causes and implications of changes in coral size, we seek to reveal the advantages to modifying ongoing programs to embrace the information inherent in changing coral colony size. Within this framework, we evaluate and forecast the mechanics and implications of changes in the population structure of corals thatextinction and provide time for human intervention to alleviate the environmental degradation driving reductions in coral abundance.Temperature variability, habitat, coral communities, and fishing intensity are important factors influencing coral responses to climate change. Consequently, chronic and acute sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) and their interactions with habitat and fishing were studied along the East African coast (~400km) by evaluating changes over a ~25-year period in two major reef habitats-island and fringing reefs. These habitats had similar mean and standard deviation temperature measurements but differed in that islands had lower ocean heights and flatter and less right-skewed temperature distributions than fringing reefs. These patterns arise because islands are exposed to deep offshore water passing through deep channels while being protected from the open ocean storms and the strong inter-annual current temperature variability. Within these two seascapes, coral communities are shaped by population responses to the variable temperature distributions as determined by the taxa's associations with the competitive-stress-competitive or space-occupying taxa. However, some island reefs with a history of dynamite fishing aligned with the stress-resistant communities over the full study period. Compared to the in situ SST gauges at the study site, temperature proxies with global coverage were often good at estimating mean and standard deviations of the SSTs but much poorer at estimating the shape of the temperature distributions that reflect chronic and acute stress, as reflected by kurtosis and skewness metrics. Given that these stress variables were critical for understanding the impacts of rare climate disturbances, global climate models that use mean conditions are likely to be poor predictors of future impacts on corals, particularly their species and life history composition. Better predictions should be possible if appropriate chronic and acute stress metrics and their proxies are identified and used.Outbreaks of the Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) have been responsible for 40% of the decline in coral cover on the GBR over the last 35 years. With the intensity and frequency of bleaching and cyclonic disturbances increasing, effectively managing these outbreaks may allow reefs an opportunity to recover from these cumulative impacts. Significant research effort has been directed toward developing regional scale models for COTS outbreaks, but these have yet to be fit explicitly to long term time series at the scale of the entire GBR, nor do previous research efforts incorporate explicit estimates of cumulative disturbance history. We developed a stage-based metapopulation model for COTS at a 1×1km resolution using long-term time series and modelled estimates of COTS larval connectivity, nutrient concentrations and important vital rates estimated from the literature. We coupled this metapopulation model to an existing spatially explicit model of coral cover growth, disturbances a platform to develop upon, and with improvements to estimates of larval connectivity and larval predation could be used to simulate the effects of implementing varying combinations of COTS interventions. This research highlights the importance of the early life history stages of COTS as drivers of outbreak dynamics, emphasizing the need for further empirical research to estimate these parameters.Outbreaks of the coral eating crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthasts cf. solaris) occur in cyclical waves along the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), contributing significantly to the decline in hard coral cover over the past 30 years. One main difficulty faced by scientists and managers alike, is understanding the relative importance of contributing factors to COTS outbreaks such as increased nutrients and water quality, larval connectivity, fishing pressure, and abiotic conditions. We analysed COTS abundances from the most recent outbreak (2010-2018) using both boosted regression trees and generalised additive models to identify key predictors of COTS outbreaks. We used this approach to predict the suitability of each reef on the GBR for COTS outbreaks at three different levels (1) reefs with COTS present intermittently (Presence); (2) reefs with COTS widespread and present in most samples and (Prevalence) (3) reefs experiencing outbreak levels of COTS (Outbreak). We also compared the utility of two auto-covariotspots of COTS activity primarily on the mid shelf central GBR and on the southern Swains reefs. This study provides the first empirical comparison of the major hypotheses of COTS outbreaks and the first validated predictions of COTS outbreak potential at the GBR scale incorporating connectivity, nutrients, biophysical and spatial variables, providing a useful aid to management of this pest species on the GBR.The coral reef ecosystems of the Arabian/Persian Gulf (the Gulf) are facing profound pressure from climate change (extreme temperatures) and anthropogenic (land-use and population-related) stressors. Increasing degradation at local and regional scales has already resulted in widespread coral cover reduction. Connectivity, the transport and exchange of larvae among geographically separated populations, plays an essential role in recovery and maintenance of biodiversity and resilience of coral reef populations. Here, an oceanographic model in 3-D high-resolution was used to simulate particle dispersion of "virtual larvae." We investigated the potential physical connectivity of coral reefs among different regions in the Gulf. Simulations reveal that basin-scale circulation is responsible for broader spatial dispersion of the larvae in the central region of the Gulf, and tidally-driven currents characterized the more localized connectivity pattern in regions along the shores in the Gulf's southern part. Results suggest predominant self-recruitment of reefs with highest source and sink ratios along the Bahrain and western Qatar coasts, followed by the south eastern Qatar and continental Abu Dhabi coast. The central sector of the Gulf is suggested as recruitment source in a stepping-stone dynamics. Recruitment intensity declined moving away from the Straits of Hormuz. Connectivity varied in models assuming passive versus active mode of larvae movement. This suggests that larval behaviour needs to be taken into consideration when establishing dispersion models, and establishing conservation strategies for these vulnerable ecosystems.Reef-building coral taxa demonstrate considerable flexibility and diversity in reproduction and growth mechanisms. Corals take advantage of this flexibility to increase or decrease size through clonal expansion and loss of live tissue area (i.e. via reproduction and mortality of constituent polyps). The biological lability of reef-building corals may be expected to map onto varying patterns of demography across environmental contexts which can contribute to geographic variation in population dynamics. Here we explore the patterns of growth of two common coral taxa, corymbose Pocillopora and massive Porites, across seven islands in the central and south Pacific. The islands span a natural gradient of environmental conditions, including a range of pelagic primary production, a metric linked to the relative availability of inorganic nutrients and heterotrophic resources for mixotrophic corals, and sea surface temperature and thermal histories. Over a multi-year sampling interval, most coral colonies experienced positive growth (greater planar area of live tissue in second relative to first time point), though the distributions of growth varied across islands. Island-level median growth did not relate simply to estimated pelagic primary productivity or temperature. However, at locations that experienced an extreme warm-water event during the sampling interval, most Porites colonies experienced net losses of live tissue and nearly all Pocillopora colonies experienced complete mortality. While descriptive statistics of demographics offer valuable insights into trends and variability in colony change through time, simplified models predicting growth patterns based on summarized oceanographic metrics appear inadequate for robust demographic prediction. We propose that the complexity of life history strategies among colonial reef-building corals introduces unique demographic flexibility for colonies to respond to a wide breadth of environmental conditions.Fungiid corals (Cnidaria Anthozoa Scleractinia) occur at isolated locations scattered throughout the eastern tropical Pacific. They can be reef-associated but are often found on sand and rubble substrata distant from reef coral habitat. Cycloseris curvata is known in this region from the southern Gulf of California, through Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panamá, and with the southern-most populations occurring in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. During Archipelago-wide surveys (1988-2019), living individuals of Cycloseris curvata were observed at only two locations, Devil's Crown (near Floreana Island) and Xarifa Island (near Española Island). The Devil's Crown population was observed from 1988 to 2017, whereas living individuals in the Xarifa population were observed from 2005 to 2009. In 2012 a death assemblage (dead skeletons) was discovered at Darwin Island, at the northern-most extent of the Archipelago. At Devil's Crown, visual surveys were performed annually or biennially from 1990 to 2012, with two more surveys in 2017 and 2019. The living Cycloseris curvata population consisted of 15 individuals in 1990 that gradually increased to 78 individuals by 1995. Over 200 individuals were observed in 1996, and high numbers persisted through 1998 with 335 individuals. Live tissue surface area per polyp ranged from 0.5 to 95.0cm2. The population decreased to 112 individuals in 1999 (following warming associated with the 1997-98 El Niño), with further declines to 20 in 2009 (following cooling associated with the 2007 La Niña) and a rebound to 91 in 2012. After a 5y break in data collection, only one individual (28.3cm2) was observed in 2017, and in 2019 none were observed. Although undetected living Cycloseris curvata populations may exist, and renewed recruitment provides some hope for population reestablishment, it is possible that this fungiid coral species is now extirpated from the Galápagos Archipelago.