Preliminary Assessments Research Articles

A MULTIVARIATE INTERPOLATION APPROACH FOR PREDICTING DRUG LD50 VALUE

Objective: The present study aimed to develop a multivariate interpolation based on the quantitative structure-toxicity relationship (QSTR) that can accurately predict the oral median lethal dose (LD50) values of drugs in mice by considering five different toxicologic endpoints. Material and Method: A mathematical model was created using a comprehensive dataset comprising LD50 values from 319 pharmaceuticals belonging to various pharmacological classes. We developed a polynomial model that can predict the range of LD50 values for pharmaceuticals. We employed a technique called two-variable polynomial interpolation. This method allowed us to estimate the approximate values of a function at any point within a two-dimensional (2D) space by utilizing a polynomial equation. Result and Discussion: The resulting model demonstrated the ability to predict LD50 values for new or untested drugs, rendering it a valuable tool in the early stages of drug development. The Ghose-Crippen-Viswanadhan octanol-water partition coefficient (ALogP) and Molecular Weight (MW) were selected as suitable descriptors for building the best QSAR model. Based on our evaluation, the model achieved an overall success rate of 86.73%. Compared to traditional experimental methods for LD50 determination, this innovative approach offers time and cost efficiency while reducing animal testing requirements. Our model can improve drug safety, optimize dosage regimens, and assist decision-making processes during preclinical studies and drug development. This approach provided a reliable and efficient method for preliminary acute toxicity assessments.

Novelties in the genus Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae, Acalyphoideae): two new species from northern Madagascar

Background and aims – Taxonomic knowledge of Acalypha in the Western Indian Ocean Region (WIOR; including Madagascar, Comoros, Mascarenes, Seychelles, and the Scattered Islands) has increased greatly in the last few years. This paper is the latest in a series of publications that have contributed to create a robust taxonomic framework for Acalypha in this region. Material and methods – The descriptions and illustrations of the new species are based on herbarium specimens and on some field images. Descriptions were made following standard procedures. Maps was prepared using QGIS software and preliminary conservation assessments was made following IUCN guidelines and criteria. Key results – Two species of Acalypha from northern Madagascar are described as new to science: Acalypha bardotiana sp. nov., found on the Montagne des Français (Diana region), and Acalypha inaequibracteata sp. nov., found in the Binara forest (Sava region). Line drawings, field images, distribution maps, and a discussion of their morphological and phylogenetic affinities, as well as the preliminary conservation assessments are provided.

Post Disaster Damage Assessment Using Ultra-High-Resolution Aerial Imagery with Semi-Supervised Transformers.

Preliminary damage assessments (PDA) conducted in the aftermath of a disaster are a key first step in ensuring a resilient recovery. Conventional door-to-door inspection practices are time-consuming and may delay governmental resource allocation. A number of research efforts have proposed frameworks to automate PDA, typically relying on data sources from satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, or ground vehicles, together with data processing using deep convolutional neural networks. However, before such frameworks can be adopted in practice, the accuracy and fidelity of predictions of damage level at the scale of an entire building must be comparable to human assessments. Towards this goal, we propose a PDA framework leveraging novel ultra-high-resolution aerial (UHRA) images combined with state-of-the-art transformer models to make multi-class damage predictions of entire buildings. We demonstrate that semi-supervised transformer models trained with vast amounts of unlabeled data are able to surpass the accuracy and generalization capabilities of state-of-the-art PDA frameworks. In our series of experiments, we aim to assess the impact of incorporating unlabeled data, as well as the use of different data sources and model architectures. By integrating UHRA images and semi-supervised transformer models, our results suggest that the framework can overcome the significant limitations of satellite imagery and traditional CNN models, leading to more accurate and efficient damage assessments.

Thermo-economic assessment and systematic comparison of combined supercritical CO2 and organic Rankine cycle (SCO2-ORC) systems for solar power tower plants

Solar power towers (SPTs) integrated with thermal energy storage are promising solutions for solar energy utilisation. Supercritical CO2 power cycles are acknowledged as an attractive option for dry-cooling SPT plants. However, abundant low-grade waste heat exists in the SCO2 gas cooler, which is directly dissipated to the ambient. In order to further improve the performance of SCO2-based SPT plants, organic Rankine cycle (ORC) systems can be introduced as a bottoming cycle subsystem. In this paper, an ORC subsystem is added to four different SCO2 cycle layouts, i.e., recuperated (RE), recompression (RC), intercooling (IC), and partial cooling (PC) cycles, to form combined cycle systems for SPT applications. A parametric study reveals that the thermal efficiency of the power block (i.e., the whole power cycle system), and the salt temperature difference across the receiver are the determining factors of the thermo-economic performance of SPT-SCO2-ORC plants. Design optimisation and annual performance evaluations are implemented using actual weather data in Delingha, China. Compared to the SPT plant with a standalone recuperated SCO2 cycle system, the annual electricity generation is increased by 19 % by integrating a bottoming ORC subsystem. The SPT-RC-ORC system produces the maximum electricity generation of 123 GW·h/year, while the SPT-RE-ORC system achieves the lowest levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.12 $/kW·h and the minimum payback time of 8.8 years. A wide range of solar irradiance conditions is further considered to generalise the performance evaluation of such combined cycle systems, with results showing that with the highest solar irradiance investigated (3700 sunshine hours, 1000 W/m2·h), the LCOE of the SPT-RE-ORC plant can be as low as 0.07 $/kW·h and the payback time is as short as 6 years. This study investigates optimal SCO2-ORC configurations for SPT applications based on annual performance evaluations, and presents preliminary assessments of the thermo-economic potential of ushc SPT-SCO2-ORC plants across a variety of solar resource conditions.

A-374 Analytical Performance Assessment and Comparison of Point of Care Testing (POCT) Devices for Blood Lipids Measurements

Abstract Background Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), worldwide, 85% of CVD deaths are due to heart disease and strokes, and over 75% occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Early detection and treatment are key to preventing the consequences of CVD. Point-of-care testing (POCT) devices offer alternatives to screening large populations for CVD risk. Although POCT are increasingly used for screening, only few information is available about their accuracy and reliability. Methods Eight POCT devices for blood lipids that previously successfully participated in the CDC CVD Biomarker Standardization Programs were used in this preliminary study. The analytical performance for all eight devices was assessed using split sample comparisons to the CDC reference measurement procedures for measurements performed in whole blood (WB) and serum. Specifically, the accuracy of total cholesterol (TC) was determined in WB and serum. The accuracy of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) was determined in serum. The precision of TC, HDL-c, LDL-c, and triglycerides (TG) was determined in WB and serum. Results The reference values of the specimens from 20 donors ranged between 154–279 mg/dL, 36.9–109 mg/dL, and 71.1–182 mg/dL for TC, HDL-c, and LDL-c in serum, and between 145–210 mg/dL for TC in WB. Preliminary assessments found that the mean bias for each instrument ranged from -7.86%–13.82% and from -11.90%–3.24% for TC in WB and serum, respectively. For serum HDL-c samples, the mean bias ranged from −6.81%–15.43%. The mean bias for serum LDL-c samples ranged from −22.40% to 3.08%. For three devices, approximately 30% of the WB measurements and approximately 50% of the serum measurements were reported as outside of the measurement range. The mean imprecision for each instrument ranged from 2.2%–13.75% and from 1.88%–11.76% for TC in WB and serum, respectively. For HDL-c, the mean imprecision ranged from 5.36%–23.21% and from 2.30% to 26.69% in WB and serum, respectively. The mean imprecision ranged from 4.82%–20.34% and from 3.06%–20.54% for LDL-c in WB and serum, respectively. For TG, the mean imprecision ranged from 5.78%–23.91% and from 1.71%–11.02% in WB and serum, respectively. Conclusion These preliminary findings about the analytical performance of POCT devices indicate notable differences in accuracy and precision for lipids measured in WB and serum, with serum measurements being more likely within performance requirements than WB measurements. Some devices appear to be more likely to report values outside the measurement range even though reference values are within the measurement range of the device. Further studies to verify these preliminary findings with more individual donor samples are underway.

Multi-devices field magnetic susceptibility: ‘3D’ spatialization of metallic contamination in soils and reverse correlation in carbonated context (Jebel Ressas, Tunisia)

Soil contamination linked to abandoned lead–zinc mining wastes represents a serious environmental hazard of worldwide concern, raising the need for cost-effective tools to spatialize the contaminated area and assess the risks. In worldwide industrial environments, positive correlation between magnetic susceptibility and heavy metal soil contamination is often reported and used for fast preliminary site assessments. In this study, we report monitoring of an olive grove, situated below one of the abandoned tailings dump of the former Jebel Ressas Pb–Zn mining site (Tunisia), with three different commercial susceptibilimeters (Terraplus KT10, Bartington MS2D and Geonics EM38 induction device). Integration depths of above-mentioned susceptibilimeters vary from 3 to 150 cm. Similar broad-scale magnetic susceptibility maps for the three devices emphasize the effect of topography and runoff transfer as the main mechanisms for tailings material dispersion. Very low susceptibilities (~ 10 × 10–5 SI) characterize the contaminants magnetic signal, while uncontaminated soils susceptibilities are one order of magnitude higher (100–150 × 10–5 SI). This unique case of reverse correlation between magnetic susceptibilities and contamination (Pb, Zn, Cd) trace efficiently the degree of contamination and is substantiated by further mineralogical and magnetic properties analyses showing the predominance of iron amorphous oxyhydroxides in the dump, while (titano)maghemite is the main natural magnetic carriers in the uncontaminated soils in this specific carbonated context. The Geonics EM 38, with a proper calibration procedure, reveals a performant tool increasing the depth of investigation and when combined with shallower susceptibilimeter, opens perspectives for qualitative 3D spatialization of metallic contamination.

User fairness-enhanced beamforming for IRS-assisted cognitive radio networks based on prior judgment mechanism

This research proposes a novel approach, namely the user fairness-enhanced beamforming (UFEB) scheme, to improve the user fairness in intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) assisted multiuser cognitive radio networks (CRNs). The proposed scheme takes into account the bounded channel state information (CSI) error of the primary user (PU) related channel and establishes a sum α-fair utility maximization problem, where α denotes the fairness adjustment index. This problem optimizes the system for fairness and rate, subject to constraints, such as the quality-of-service requirement of secondary users (SUs), limited interference on PUs, maximum transmit power of cognitive base station (CBS), and unit modulus of the IRS. Firstly, we design a prior judgment mechanism that makes preliminary assessments of the optimized requirements of the system in terms of fairness and rate, whose rationality can be proved in the simulation results. Then, with the prior selection of α, by exploiting the successive convex approximation and Taylor series expansion, we present an alternating iterative algorithm to solve the α-fair utility maximization problem. Simulation results show that the prior selection of α can accurately reflect the difference in the optimization requirements for sum rate and fairness of the system after the beamforming of CBS and the phase of IRS are determined, and validate the effectiveness and superiority of our proposed UFEB scheme in improving the fairness among SUs.

Requirements for inventory models of radioactive waste

Abstract. The aim of the final disposal of radioactive waste is to ensure the best possible safety for the long-term protection (i.e. 1 million years) of humans and the environment from ionizing radiation and other harmful effects of this waste. In Germany, the Site Selection Act (StandAG) regulates the procedure for determining the site with the best possible safety for a repository with high-level radioactive waste. One of the mandatory aspects of the StandAG is to perform various preliminary safety assessments in order to assess the expected extent of the safe confinement of the radioactive waste. For this purpose, all information (in particular on the quantity, type, composition and activity) of the waste (i.e. the inventory) is required to conduct the respective safety assessment. On behalf of the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) and within the framework of the research project “Significance of the radioactive waste inventory in the site selection for a repository (InvEnd)”, Brenk Systemplanung GmbH identified the characteristics of the inventory required for the preliminary safety assessments. To determine these inventory characteristics, two main data sources were analysed, namely the generic but host-rock-specific concepts for a German high-level radioactive waste repository and the inventory data and approaches of other countries with technologically developed repository programmes. The identified characteristics can be divided into different groups (e.g. geometric, chemical, radiological and physical) and categories such as primary inventory data that are essential for carrying out the preliminary safety assessments or secondary inventory data which validate the primary inventory data. The evaluation of the impact of the identified characteristics shows that especially data on component-specific chemical composition and component-specific radionuclide inventory have a high impact on the results of safety assessments. These characteristics are, in turn, dependent on other characteristics, such as the irradiation history and the original chemical composition of the fuel in addition to the structural parts of the fuel assemblies. Furthermore, the study assesses uncertainties of the inventory characteristics, such as data uncertainty and conceptual uncertainty. The extent of data uncertainty depends on the inventory characteristic. However, in most cases, only qualitative assessments are possible. Conceptual uncertainties depend on the degree of simplification used to define reference wastes but cannot be quantified yet, as no reference wastes have been defined. The results of this study enable authorities and waste management organizations to identify the key data of high-level radioactive waste inventories that are essential for conducting safety assessments of repositories, even during early stages of site selection and planning.

Evaluation of retrieval concepts for high-level radioactive waste from a deep geological disposal in operation

Abstract. This research project evaluates retrieval concepts. For this purpose, an evaluation method for assessing retrieval concepts is developed. Safety-relevant criteria for the evaluation of individual retrieval measures and the technically necessary components have to be identified. The criteria are developed on the basis of generic, host-rock-specific concepts. Different national and international retrieval concepts are considered. Different repository concepts (host rocks and technical concepts) require different retrieval concepts. The influences and effects of implementing the requirement for retrievability must already be identified and evaluated in the scope of the representative preliminary safety assessment (rvSU) included in the site selection procedure in Germany. This requires a suitable evaluation method that facilitates an assessment and classification of the different concepts, based on their measures for retrievability and their safety-related impacts. Both host-rock-specific requirements and different emplacement concepts (borehole and drift emplacement) must be considered. The BASE (German Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management) research project “Evaluation of Retrieval Concepts” (BeRK) addresses the following research questions: how could different retrievability measures and specific retrieval concepts be comparatively evaluated? How can measures for implementing and optimising retrievability be assessed in terms of their safety significance? How can trade-offs be reconstructed? The criteria to be developed and their derivation are to be presented in a comprehensible manner and are compiled in a criteria catalogue. The research project contributes to a better understanding of the repository designs with regard to a possible retrievability and allows for better assessments regarding the preliminary safety assessments.

Converting optimum compaction properties of fine-grained soils between rational energy levels

This study introduces a practical energy conversion (EC)-type modeling framework capable of converting the optimum compaction properties of fine-grained soils between any two rational compaction energy levels (CELs). Model development/calibration was carried out using a database of 242 compaction test results — the largest and most diverse database of its kind, to date, entailing 76 fine-grained soils (covering liquid limits of 16–256%), with each soil tested for at least three different CELs. On establishing the framework, an independent database of 91 compaction test results (consisting of 34 fine-grained soils tested for varying CELs) was employed for its validation. The proposed EC-based models employ measured optimum water content (OWC) and maximum dry unit weight (MDUW) values obtained for a rational CEL (preferably standard Proctor) to predict the same for higher and/or lower compactive efforts (covering 214–5416 kJ/m3). The 95% lower and upper statistical agreement limits between the predicted/converted and measured OWCs were obtained as −2.16 wc % and +2.25 wc %, both of which are on par (in terms of magnitude) with the ASTM D1557 allowable limit of 2.1 wc %. For the MDUW predictions, these limits were calculated as −0.71 and +0.66 kN/m3, which can also be deemed acceptable when compared against ASTM’s allowable limit of ±0.7 kN/m3 (= ±4.4 lb/ft3). The proposed framework offers a reasonably practical procedure to accurately convert the optimum compaction parameters across different CELs (without the need for any soil index properties), and thus can be used with confidence for preliminary project design assessments.

A revision of the South American species of the Morelloid clade (Solanum L., Solanaceae).

The Morelloid clade, also known as the black nightshades or "Maurella" (Morella), is one of the 10 major clades within the mega-diverse genus Solanum L. The clade is most diverse in the central to southern Andes, but species occur around the tropics and subtropics, some extending well into the temperate zone. Plants of the group vary from herbs to short-lived perennials to perennial shrubs that are distinctly woody at the base, they have small mostly white or purplish white flowers and small juicy berries. Due to the complex morphological variation and weedy nature of these plants, coupled with the large number of published synonyms (especially for European taxa), our understanding of species limits and diversity in the Morelloid clade has lagged behind that of other clades in Solanum. Here we provide the last in a three-part series of monographic treatments of the morelloid solanums (see PhytoKeys Vols. 106, 125), treating the 62 species occurring in South America. This region is by far the most diverse in the clade, both in terms of species number and morphological diversity. We provide complete synonymy, nomenclatural details, including lecto- and neotypifications where needed, common names and uses, morphological descriptions, illustrations to aid identification both in herbaria and in the field, and distribution maps for all native, non-cultivated species. We include a key to all species, a synoptic character list for the species treated here and links to synoptic online keys for all species of the Morelloid clade. Preliminary conservation assessments following IUCN guidelines are also provided for all native species.

Development of Graphite Anodes from Coal Derived Carbon from Pitch

Lithium ion battery demand is expected to increase 10x over the next decade. Much of the materials for lithium ion batteries are sourced from overseas. The United States possesses vast coal reserves that have historically been used to generate electricity. That application is on the decline as cleaner sources of electricity are brought online, which leads to economic impact in coal-producing regions. Coal could also serve as a carbon source for battery-grade graphite if sufficient production procedures are developed. This group has been developing coal-derived graphite for these applications.This presentation will discuss our efforts to develop coal-derived graphite and integrate it into lithium ion batteries. Typical formation cycles, charge/discharge cycling, and HPPC profiles will be presented. The performance of lithium ion batteries containing coal-derived graphite will be compared to those containing only typical battery-grade graphite. Future directions will be discussed, including possible performance impacts and preliminary techno-economic assessments.

Emotional and Synesthetic Test of Hypnosis Induction with Video to relieve the patient from psycho-physical pain

Introduction: Emotions consist of patterns of physiological changes associated with behaviors. The urgency of putting them into action accompanied by emotional sensations that determine behavior and adaptive functions have guided the evolution of our brain. Emotions are also called "response frames" and their neuronal and hormonal control affects moral judgments and social behaviors. Historically, their expressions and recognitions have also been addressed to examine the nature of the sensations that accompany the different emotions [1]. With Multidisciplinary Team ABA, we have done two Tests on Emotions and Synesthesia in Google Tool and Video-EBT-CVS test to induce in a gradual state of hypnosis, patients properly evaluated and in the management of emotions during the Covid and post-pandemic Covid. With the aim of teaching him to recognize and manage emotions with a gradual induction to a pseudo-hypnopompic state to tell us spontaneous story of their memories that, with a meditative music, lets flow and induce first an initial induction of emotions and final recognition of their emotions and others. Clinical study: The dissemination of the Tool Emotional/Synesthesia Battery Test among adults and students at Italian schools is in an early stage, but the partial data received until now, with informed consensus, are only 19 in total and among these only 5 patients have, for health reasons that we specify in detail below, have agreed to perform the preliminary evaluation tests after the EBT/CVS Tool of 90 minutes maximum with the aim to complete the Video induction EBT-CVS with hypnosis and training to management/ treatment emotions for a total time of 1 hour 14 minutes and 40 seconds. Materials and Methods: The sample was taken after a presentation of the research made in collaboration between Private Medical Study and ASST Bergamo West/East with a total of patients who performed Tool Test on Emotions and Synesthesia. The study sample that performed Tool Test remotely with Quilgo, 19 patients performed the Tool in Google, among them 5 also performed the Test of emotions and hypnotic induction in video EBT-CVS program. Only the Video-Emotional induction/synesthetic test with evaluation of the 5 subjects, already known for years, evaluate their neuro-endocrinal and psychological pathology conditions, as described above, with 3 preliminary tests for stable their psycho-intellectual state of departure in sufficient well-being, the respective tests are: Mini Mental state examination (Italian) by MF Folstein, Raven’s standard Matrices, Test to evaluate the Hypnosis Induction Profile or Hypnotic Induction Profile of Spiegel (HIP), the Program with Tool Emotional/ Synesthesia Battery Test (EBT-CVS) and Video Test with Emotion Induction Test/Synesthesia Colombo-Vassallo-Shore or EBT-video CVS. Data analysis: The Google Test Tool EBT-CVS was sent to 44 patients in charge, of which 19 completed and sent within the 90 minutes required as the maximum time of performance. Of the 19 patients who performed it correctly. The data of the 19 tests performed have for age a range of 10-84 years, average 41,78 of years old and an average score of EQ (Emotional Quotient) of 56%, median of 54,02% and a range of 38,98%-91,10% at the EBT or Emotional Battery Test standard in Google Tool. 5 out of 19 patients tested by means of preliminary assessments, inherent our Video-Test of induction of emotions up to hypnosis, induced by the same associated video, and music in the final part of the test of recognition related also to facial expressions own and others. We analyzed the data with Anova-Mongomery 2001 to perform a variance analysis of the Tool Emotional Battery Test attended by 19 patients (Attachment 1-2, tables and graphics). Conclusions: Considering the data collected, I think it is appropriate to reflect on the tests available to us to evaluate the Emotional Quotient (Emotional/Synesthetic) of 19 persons to better understand the conscious and unconscious behavior of our patients. They can do this test in Google Tool and/or Video-Test of the Emotional Battery Test. The aim of EBT-CVS is to induce emotions with 5 senses

A targeted psychological treatment for sleep problems in young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis in England (SleepWell): a parallel group, single-blind, randomised controlled feasibility trial

Sleep disturbance is common and problematic for young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis. Sleep disruption is a contributory causal factor in the occurrence of mental health problems, including psychotic experiences, anxiety, and depression. The implication is that treating sleep problems might have additional benefits on mental health outcomes in individuals at high risk. The present study had two aims: first, to establish the feasibility and acceptability of a randomised controlled trial to treat sleep problems with the aim of reducing psychotic experiences in young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis; and second, to provide proof of concept of the clinical efficacy of the treatment. We did a parallel group, single-blind, randomised controlled feasibility trial in two National Health Service trusts in England. Eligible participants were aged 14-25 years, a patient of mental health services, assessed as being at ultra-high risk of psychosis on the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States, and having current sleep problems (score of ≥15 on the self-report Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]). Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to either a targeted psychological therapy for sleep problems (SleepWell) plus usual care or usual care alone via an automated online system, with non-deterministic minimisation that balanced participants for ISI score and referring service. The SleepWell therapy was delivered on an individual basis in approximately eight 1-h sessions over 12 weeks. Assessments were done at 0, 3, and 9 months, with trial assessors masked to treatment allocation. The key feasibility outcomes were the numbers of patients identified, recruited, and retained, treatment uptake, and data completion. Treatment acceptability was measured with the Abbreviated Acceptability Rating Profile (AARP). In preliminary clinical assessments, the primary clinical outcome was insomnia at 3 and 9 months assessed with the ISI, reported by randomised group (intention-to-treat analysis). Safety was assessed in all randomly assigned participants. The trial was prospectively registered on ISRCTN, 85601537, and is completed. From Nov 18, 2020, to Jan 26, 2022, 67 young people were screened, of whom 40 (60%) at ultra-high risk of psychosis were recruited. Mean age was 16·9 years (SD 2·5; range 14-23), and most participants identified as female (n=19 [48%]) or male (n=19 [48%]) and as White (n=32 [80%]). 21 participants were randomly assigned to SleepWell therapy plus usual care and 19 to usual care alone. All participants provided data on at least one follow-up visit. 39 (98%) of 40 participants completed the primary outcome assessment at 3 and 9 months. 20 (95%) of 21 participants assigned to SleepWell therapy received the prespecified minimum treatment dose of at least four sessions. The median treatment acceptability score on the AARP was 48 (IQR 46 to 48; n=17; maximum possible score 48). At the post-intervention follow-up (3 months), compared with the usual care alone group, the SleepWell therapy group had a reduction in insomnia severity (ISI adjusted mean difference -8·12 [95% CI -11·60 to -4·63]; Cohen's d=-2·67 [95% CI -3·81 to -1·52]), which was sustained at 9 months (ISI adjusted mean difference -5·83 [-9·31 to -2·35]; Cohen's d=-1·91 [-3·06 to -0·77]). Among the 40 participants, eight adverse events were reported in six participants (two [11%] participants in the usual care group and four [19%] participants in the SleepWell therapy group). One serious adverse event involving hospital admission for a physical health problem was reported in the SleepWell therapy group, and one patient in the usual care alone group transitioned to psychosis. None of these events were classed as being related to trial treatment or procedures. A randomised controlled trial of a targeted psychological sleep therapy for young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis is feasible. Patients can be retained in the trial and assessments done by masked assessors. Uptake of the sleep therapy was high, and we found preliminary evidence of sustained reductions in sleep problems. A definitive multicentre trial is now needed. NIHR Research for Patient Benefit and NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre.

Catalogue and red list of Acalypha L. (Euphorbiaceae) from South America

A checklist with preliminary conservation assessments of native South American species of Acalypha is presented. This work is supported by the study of ca 6500 herbarium specimens and an in-depth literature review. As a result, 87 species (83 native and four introduced) and eight subspecies are accepted, and a further 395 names are considered synonyms. Geographical distribution, habitat, and altitudinal range for all species are also indicated. Brazil is the richest country in number of species of Acalypha (40), followed by Peru (32), Bolivia (29), Colombia and Ecuador—including Galapagos Islands—(24), Venezuela (18), Argentina (17), Paraguay (13), Guyana (8), Uruguay (5), French Guiana (4), and Suriname (3). The presence of the genus Acalypha in Chile is reported for the first time, alongside new country records of A. poiretii in Peru and A. venezuelica in Guatemala. The specimens previously identified as A. plicata from Colombia and Venezuela, are here considered belonging to A. cuspidata. The red list provided follows IUCN criteria and includes 39 species and three subspecies, 47% of total native species of Acalypha in South America: 16 species and one subspecies Critically Endangered (nine of them probably extinct), 15 species and two subspecies Endangered, and eight species Vulnerable.

Exploring available landslide inventories for susceptibility analysis in Gipuzkoa province (Spain)

Similar to many mountainous regions of the world, landslides are a recurrent geological hazard in the Gipuzkoa province (northern Spain) that commonly cause damage to communication infrastructure, such as roads and railways. This geomorphological process also threatens buildings and human beings, albeit to a lesser degree. Over time, different institutions and academic research groups have individually collected crucial information on historic and ancient landslides in this region, resulting in various landslide inventories. However, these inventories have not been collectively assessed, and their suitability for landslide susceptibility modelling projects has often been assumed without comprehensive evaluation. In this study, we propose a simplified method to explore, describe, and compare the various landslide inventories in a specific study area to assess their suitability for landslide susceptibility modelling. Additionally, we present the results of an illustrative experiment that demonstrates the direct effect of using different inventories in landslide susceptibility modelling through a data-driven approach. We found that out of the five digitally available inventories in the study area, only three provide sufficient guarantees to be used as input data for susceptibility modelling. Furthermore, we observed that each individual inventory exhibited inherent biases, which directly influenced the resulting susceptibility map. We believe that our proposed methods can be easily replicated in other study areas where multiple landslide inventory sources exist, and that our work will induce other researchers to conduct preliminary assessments of their inventories as a critical step prior to any landslide susceptibility modelling project.

Holoparasitic Orobanchaceae in Georgia (Caucasus): taxonomic revision, diversity, distribution, habitats and host range

This study represents the first comprehensive monograph of the tribe Orobancheae (Orobanchaceae) in the four holoparasitic genera, Cistanche, Phelypaea, Phelipanche, and Orobanche, in Georgia. This country, as a part of the Caucasus, is one of the most important biodiversity centres in the world and includes poorly understood holoparasitic plants. Species delimitations are re-evaluated on the basis of critical observations on seven years of field work and examination of ca. 1000 herbarium sheets from 50 herbaria. Our work has resulted in the recognition of 33 species, among which 13 are endemic to the Caucasus. We present information on their distribution, localities, habitat, phenology, host range, images from the field, nomenclatural acts (taxonomic clarifications, proposals for new synonymisations, new combinations, lectotypifications), as well as a key for identification and preliminary geospatial conservation assessments for all species based on IUCN criteria. Lectotypes are designated for Cistanche fissa, C. sintenisii, Orobanche salsa var. ambigua f. fissa, O. salsa var. ambigua f. longiloba, O. coelestis f. confinis, O. ramosa var. penicillata, O. coerulescens, O. buhsei, O. glabrata, O. minor, O. libanotidis, O. flava; neotype for O. owerinii; nomenclatural novelties, new combinations and/or a name at new rank: O. doriae, Orobanche subg. Gamosepalae, Orobanche sect. Arcuatae.

Assessing the extinction risks of amphibians impacted by infectious diseases

Emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are a major threat to amphibians worldwide. Determining the extinction risk of species susceptible to EIDs is challenging because of data limitations, especially in the initial stages of emergence and spread of disease. The fast rate of spread of many EIDs makes it necessary to assess the extinction risk of impacted host species before detailed mechanistic (epidemiological) or correlative (ecological niche) models can be developed. We present a simple method for identifying species that are at the highest risk of extinction due to an EID. Our method incorporates projections of the spatial spread of disease into IUCN Red List assessments under criteria A3 (based on future population reductions), D2 (plausible future threats), and E (probability of extinction). We apply this method to assess the extinction risk of salamander species in Europe susceptible to population declines caused by Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), the agent of the salamander plague. Our results indicate a high risk of extinction for European salamanders as a result of the spreading Bsal infection. Depending on the rate of spread from the current Bsal localities, and the emergence of new localities through human travel and transport, the number of species threatened by Bsal can range from a few to almost 30 of the 40 species that occur in Europe. Our method allows preliminary assessments of extinction risk based on limited information. For species at risk of extinction due to fast-spreading EIDs, it provides a pragmatic and precautionary solution until more realistic models can be developed.

Large-scale biomonitoring of bisphenol analogues and their metabolites in human urine from Guangzhou, China: Implications for health risk assessment

Bisphenol analogues (BPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and have gained significant attention regarding their associated health risks. However, there is a lack of comprehensive biomonitoring data on BPs and their metabolites in human urine. To address this, we conducted a study evaluate the exposure to BPs in the general population of Guangzhou, China. A total of 1440 urine samples were collected from volunteers and analyzed for the presence of BPs and their metabolites after being pooled into 36 groups based on age and gender. The findings revealed the common detection of ten free-form BPs, as well as the urinary metabolites of BPA and BPS, in the pooled urine samples. BPA was the predominant free-form compound, constituting 50% of the total BPs. The primary urinary metabolites of BPA and BPS are BPA-G and BPS-G, respectively, indicating glucuronidation as their primary metabolic pathway. The composition of urinary metabolites of BPA and BPS varied by age and sex, while the concentration of total BPs in urine was not significantly associated with age and sex. Enzymatic hydrolysis yielded a mean amplification of individual BPs concentrations in urine samples ranging from 1.8 times (BPA) to 4.6 times (BPS). Based on the outcomes, it was estimated that conjugated forms accounted for 96.9%, 96.2%, 94.7%, 94.1%, 92.6%, 89.1%, 87.3%, 87.2%, 87.1% and 85.8% of BPP, BPAF, BPZ, BPE, BPAP, BPF, BPA, BPC, BPS and BPF, respectively, in the pooled urine samples. Preliminary risk assessments indicated that the estimated daily intake of BPA was much higher than the latest proposed tolerable daily intake. Due to the unavailability of health-based guideline values for alternative BPs, some of them exhibit daily intakes comparable to BPA, implying that greater attention should be paid to health risks associated with exposure to BPs.

Level 3 Assessment of Highway Girder Deck Bridges according to the Italian Guidelines: Influence of Transverse Load Distribution

The Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation adopted the guidelines on risk classification and management, safety assessment and monitoring of existing bridges through the Decree No. 578 dated 17 December 2020. This document must be used by all managing entities to prevent damage due to a lack of maintenance to these crucial components of the infrastructure system. The approach of the guidelines for existing bridges is developed across six levels, ranging from Level 0 to Level 5. The research work presented in this article is focused on Level 3, which pertains to preliminary assessments conducted on existing bridges. Through an automated procedure, the preliminary verification is performed by comparing bending and shear stress generated by traffic load schemes extracted from previous standards with the ones based on the current code. These loads are applied to a series of girder deck models, selected through a statistical study conducted on a database of bridges. Performance indices are derived from the comparison to evaluate the adequacy of previously designed and constructed structures by applying the load models specified in the current regulations for designing new bridges. The analysis results highlight a performance gap, which varies depending on the standard code at hand.