Relevant Risk Assessment Research Articles

Plastic debris exposure and effects in rivers: Boundaries for efficient ecological risk assessment.

Until recently, plastic pollution research was focused on the marine environments, and attention was given to terrestrial and freshwater environments latter. This discussion paper aims to put forward crucial questions on issues that limit our ability to conduct reliable plastic ecological risk assessments in rivers. Previous studies highlighted the widespread presence of plastics in rivers, but the sources and levels of exposure remained matters of debate. Field measurements have been carried out on the concentration and composition of plastics in rivers, but greater homogeneity in the choice of plastic sizes, particularly for microplastics by following the recent ISO international standard nomenclature, is needed for better comparison between studies. The development of additional relevant sampling strategies that are suited to the specific characteristics of riverine environments is also needed. Similarly, we encourage the systematic real-time monitoring of environmental conditions (e.g., topology of the sampling section of the river, hydrology, volumetric flux and velocity, suspended matters concentration) to better understand the origin of variability in plastic concentrations in rivers. Furthermore, ingestion of microplastics by freshwater organisms has been demonstrated under laboratory conditions, but the long-term effects of continuous microplastic exposure in organisms are less well understood. This discussion paper encourages an integrative view of the issues involved in assessing plastic exposure and its effects on biota, in order to improve our ability to carry out relevant ecological risk assessments in river environments.

Are humans REALLY just big rats and mice? Using the mode of action of aflatoxins, nitrosamines and dioxin-like chemicals for more relevant human-based risk assessments

Are humans REALLY just big rats and mice? Using the mode of action of aflatoxins, nitrosamines and dioxin-like chemicals for more relevant human-based risk assessments

Nomograph derivation for underwater sour gas releases in shallow waters based on computational fluid dynamics simulations

Ruptured underwater pipelines releasing sour gas (i.e., natural gas with high concentrations of H2S) pose significant threats to environmental safety due to their toxic and contaminative properties. This study suggests a transient Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model for assessing the environmental impact of sour gas releases in shallow, ecologically sensitive waters. Employing the Realizable k-ε turbulence model and additional bubble plume mechanisms, the model was rigorously validated against well-documented experimental data, showing high levels of agreement across multiple metrics. Key environmental safety parameters—such as rise time and H2S surface gas concentration, indicative of toxic exposure risk to aquatic life and human health—were extracted for multiple release scenarios. To present generalized and easily accessible data, these parameters were nondimensionalized and incorporated into a nomograph, enabling environmental risk assessments to be conducted four orders of magnitude faster than with high-fidelity simulations. The study emphasizes the nomograph's utility in rapid, environmentally relevant risk assessment and emergency planning for mitigating the impact of sour gas spills. An error and sensitivity analysis revealed uncertainties of ±7 % for rise time and ±58 % for surface gas concentration, pinpointing avenues for future research.

A Multi-Level Deep Neural Network-Based Tourism Supply Chain Risk Management Study

With the rapid advancement of the tourism, the capital demand of tourism enterprises has gradually risen, but the confusion of market management has increased the difficulty of risk assessment of tourism enterprises by financial institutions, which has led to difficulties in financing tourism enterprises and seriously hindered their development. On this basis, this research first analyses the risk structure of the tourism supply chain (TSC) from the financial aspect and establishes a relevant risk assessment system. After confirming the assessment indexes, the data is dativized and normalized, and finally a multi-level deep neural network (DNN) is used to construct a TSC risk prediction model to calculate the transformed indexes and assess the risk degree of the enterprise according to the results. The experimental results indicate that the model has the best performance when the H-Net hidden layer is 3 layers and the L-Net hidden layer is 4 layers, and its accuracy reaches 93.35%, sensitivity reaches 84.13%, convergence starts at 25 iterations, the final loss value is only 0.8, and the predicted and the real value error is within 2.5%. Therefore, the multi-level DNN model constructed in this experiment has certain application value in TSC risk management.

Hepatotoxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles.

The food additive E171 (titanium dioxide, TiO2), is widely used in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. It is a fine white powder, with at least one third of its particles sized in the nanoparticulate (˂100 nm range, TiO2 NPs). The use of E171 is controversial as its relevant risk assessment has never been satisfactorily accomplished. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown dose-dependent toxicity in various organs including the liver. TiO2 NPs have been shown to induce inflammation, cell death and structural and functional changes within the liver. The toxicity of TiO2 NPs in experimental models varies between organs and according to their physiochemical characteristics and parameters such as dosage and route of administration. Among these factors, ingestion is the most significant exposure route, and the liver is a key target organ. The aim of this review is to highlight the reported adverse effects of orally administered TiO2 NPs on the liver and to discuss the controversial state of its toxicity.

Analysis of the impacts of financial development on economic growth in East Africa: How do the institutional qualities matter?

The financial sector plays a vital role in fostering economic growth, regardless of a nation's development stage. However, East Africa, compared to other regions, faces unique challenges in advancing its financial landscape. While the existing body of research acknowledges the significance of financial development in promoting economic growth, some studies need more regional specificity, focusing on broader frameworks that may neglect specific factors like the quality of institutions within East Africa. This research addresses this gap by investigating the relationship between financial development and economic growth in 18 East African countries from 1995 to 2021. Employing dynamic panel estimation (GMM) to address potential Endogeneity and reverse causality concerns, the study delves into the moderating effect of institutional quality on this relationship. Factors like government stability, rule of law, presence of the military in politics, and corruption control measure institutional quality.Additionally, the study controls for other relevant factors influencing economic growth. Data sourced from reputable international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and relevant risk assessment institutions serves as the basis for analysis. The findings reveal that the impact of financial development on economic growth in East Africa is multifaceted. While financial development itself demonstrates a positive influence on growth, this effect is significantly amplified in countries with stronger institutional frameworks. This suggests that robust institutions act as a catalyst, maximizing the positive impact of financial development on economic growth.

Immobilisation remediation of arsenic-contaminated soils with promising CaAl-layered double hydroxide and bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and speciation-based health risk assessment

Arsenic (As)-contaminated soil poses great health risk to human mostly through inadvertent oral exposure. We investigated CaAl-layered double hydroxide (CaAl-LDH), a promising immobilising agent, for the remediation of As-contaminated Chinese soils. The effects on specific soil properties and As fractionation were analyzed, and changes in the health risk of soil As were accurately assessed by means of advanced in vivo mice model and in vitro PBET-SHIME model. Results showed that the application of CaAl-LDH significantly increased soil pH and concentration of Fe and Al oxides, and effectively converted active As fractions into the most stable residual fraction, guaranteeing long-term remediation stability. Based on in vivo test, As relative bioavailability was significantly reduced by 37.75%. Based on in vitro test, As bioaccessibility in small intestinal and colon phases was significantly reduced by 25.65% and 28.57%, respectively. Furthermore, As metabolism (reduction and methylation) by the gut microbiota inhabiting colon was clearly observed. After immobilisation with CaAl-LDH, the concentration of bioaccessible As(Ⅴ) in the colon fluid was significantly reduced by 61.91%, and organic As (least toxic MMA(V) and DMA(V)) became the main species, which further reduced the health risk of soil As. In summary, CaAl-LDH proved to be a feasible option for immobilisation remediation of As-contaminated soils, and considerable progress was made in relevant health risk assessment.

Assessment of suicide risk in people with borderline personality disorder: a qualitative analysis of risk protocols

ABSTRACT Objective The prominence of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and death by suicide among people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) underscores the importance of conducting relevant and informative risk assessment. The purpose of this study was to examine risk assessment protocols used in state public mental health services to assess whether and in what manner they include factors specific to suicidality/self-harm risk in people with BPD. Method A qualitative evaluation of risk assessment protocols from nine of the thirteen (70%) of Victoria’s public mental health was undertaken. Content analysis methodology was utilised to identify themes and compare these to recommendations for risk assessment of BPD as outlined in Australian clinical guidelines Results The risk assessment protocols comprised suicide risk factors generally relevant to psychiatric disorders. Only one protocol incorporated BPD-specific risk assessment principles. Conclusions Fully incorporating BPD-specific risk factors into mental health service risk assessment protocols will better inform service responses and potentially improve clinical outcomes for people with BPD whose presentation includes chronic suicidality and/or high lethality non-suicidal self-injury.

Spatiotemporal Occurrence of Organophosphate Esters in the Surface Water and Sediment of Taihu Lake and Relevant Risk Assessment

Aiming to explore the spatiotemporal occurrence of organophosphate esters (OPEs) in the aquatic environment of Taihu Lake and to assess the relevant ecological risk, monomeric and oligomeric OPEs in the surface water and sediment of Taihu Lake were determined using solid phase extraction and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The target monomeric OPEs included chlorinated OPEs, alkyl OPEs, and aryl OPEs. There was no significant difference in the spatial distribution of OPEs in water and sediment between the pollutant-impacted and less-impacted zones. The average concentrations of OPEs in summer and winter were, respectively, 752.7 and 498.5 ng·L-1 in water and 124.0 and 54.5 ng·g-1 in sediment, indicating an obvious seasonal difference, especially for the monomeric OPEs. The OPEs levels in both the water and sediment were ranked in the order of chlorinated OPEs > alkyl OPEs > aryl OPEs≈oligomeric OPEs. The pseudo-partitioning coefficients (Kd) of OPEs between the sediment and surface water of Taihu Lake were much higher in summer (0.05-4.17 L·g-1) compared to those in winter (0.02-3.47 L·g-1) and were significantly positively correlated with the lg Kow values of OPEs. Based on the median concentrations of OPEs in the water of Taihu Lake, the ecological risk of OPEs was assessed by risk quotient (RQ) values, which indicated a medium risk at an RQ level of 0.34 during winter and 0.35 during summer. The assessment results showed that the risk ranking of OPEs was consistent with that of their concentrations, and the monomeric OPEs posed a higher ecological risk in summer compared to that in winter. Although the ecological risk of oligomeric OPEs in this study was not serious and was lower than that of monomeric OPEs, it is an urgent requirement to conduct ecotoxicology studies on oligomeric OPEs in the future since available data is highly limited at present.

Animal abuse recidivism: a narrative review

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consolidate and evaluate the available research on animal abuse recidivism.Design/methodology/approachA narrative review of the animal abuse literature was conducted. Articles were included if they provided data/estimates of the rates of recidivism, findings regarding the static, dynamic and/or protective factors associated with animal abuse recidivism and available risk assessment tools, specifically for use with individuals who have a history of animal abuse.FindingsThe literature review highlighted high rates of reoffending amongst those who have harmed animals. Many risk and protective factors associated with animal abuse were common to the wider offending behaviour literature (e.g. antisocial attitudes, relationship issues), but more robust research is needed to highlight any distinct characteristics. Lastly, the review reports two risk assessment tools designed specifically for this offending group.Practical implicationsClinicians and criminal justice personnel base their sentencing, detention and treatment decisions, at least in part, on the recidivism literature. This review provides a consolidation of the evidence base as an aide memoire for practitioners.Originality/valueHistory of animal abuse is a risk factor for future animal harm specifically, and interpersonal violence more broadly. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first literature review that presents the key research evidence on risk/protective factors and relevant risk assessment tools that can inform intervention planning to reduce risk of reoffending towards animals and humans alike when practitioners encounter clients who have a history of harming animals.

Remote sensing and optimized neural networks for landslide risk assessment: Paving the way for mitigating Afghanistan landslide damage

Landslides caused by mega earthquakes and other extreme climate change pose a major threat to lives and infrastructure. However, the lack of a detailed and timely landslide inventory and relevant risk assessment attributable to ongoing conflicts limits the effective prevention measures in Afghanistan. This study presents the first landslide inventory covering the whole nation of Afghanistan from 2015 to the present utilizing Google Earth Pro imagery and manual interpretation. Based on this inventory of 3,260 mapped landslides, we analyzed the distributional characteristics of landslides in Afghanistan and conducted a risk assessment that included landslide susceptibility and hazard, and vulnerability of the bearing areas. The existing regional studies attest to the accuracy and reliability of the inventory, and the results of the risk assessment using the optimized neural network method in this study are well validated. This study can provide a good database for the Afghan government to carry out relevant pre-disaster warnings and post-disaster reconstruction, which can help to delineate hotspots where landslides may occur, and reduce potential economic losses and human casualties from future landslides.

Machine learning-couched treatment algorithms tailored to individualized profile of patients with primary anterior chamber angle closure predisposed to the glaucomatous optic neuropathy.

Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is still one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness, with a trend towards an increase in the number of patients to 32.04 million by 2040, an increase of 58.4% compared with 2013. Health risk assessment based on multi-level diagnostics and machine learning-couched treatment algorithms tailored to individualized profile of patients with primary anterior chamber angle closure are considered essential tools to reverse the trend and protect vulnerable subpopulations against health-to-disease progression. To develop a methodology for personalized choice of an effective method of primary angle closure (PAC) treatment based on comparing the prognosis of intraocular pressure (IOP) changes due to laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) or lens extraction (LE). The multi-parametric data analysis was used to develop models predicting individual outcomes of the primary angle closure (PAC) treatment with LPI and LE. For doing this, we suggested a positive dynamics in the intraocular pressure (IOP) after treatment, as the objective measure of a successful treatment. Thirty-seven anatomical parameters have been considered by applying artificial intelligence to the prospective study on 30 (LE) + 30 (LPI) patients with PAC. Based on the anatomical and topographic features of the patients with PAC, mathematical models have been developed that provide a personalized choice of LE or LPI in the treatment. Multi-level diagnostics is the key tool in the overall advanced approach. To this end, for the future application of AI in the area, it is strongly recommended to consider the following:Clinically relevant phenotyping applicable to advanced population screeningSystemic effects causing suboptimal health conditions considered in order to cost-effectively protect affected individuals against health-to-disease transitionClinically relevant health risk assessment utilizing health/disease-specific molecular patterns detectable in body fluids with high predictive power such as a comprehensive tear fluid analysis. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13167-023-00337-1.

Cuproptosis- and m6A-Related lncRNAs for Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Cuproptosis and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) have potential as prognostic predictors in cancer patients, but their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unclear. This study aimed to screen a total of 375 HCC samples were retrieved from the TCGA database, and lncRNAs related to cuproptosis and m6A were obtained through correlation analysis. To construct a risk assessment model, univariate Cox regression analysis and LASSO Cox regression were employed. Analyze the regulatory effect of relevant risk assessment models on tumor mutation load (TMB) and immune microenvironment. A total of five lncRNAs (AC007405.3, AL031985.3, TMCC1-AS1, MIR210HG, TMEM220-AS1) with independent overall survival-related risk models were obtained by LASSO survival regression. TP53 and CTNNB1 were the three genes found to have the most mutations in high-risk group patients. The high-risk group with low TMB had the worst survival, whereas the low-risk group with high TMB had the best survival. KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the high-risk group was enriched with cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, cell senescence, and glycolysis/glucose production pathways. We constructed a reliable cuproptosis- and m6A-related lncRNA model for the prognosis of HCC. The model may provide new insights into managing HCC patients, but further research is needed to validate it.

Difficulties in translating in vitro hazards of local acute irritants to relevant human risk: Learnings from Captan and Folpet

In order to assess the regulatory value of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), authors should provide their opinion on the physiological and exposure relevance of observed in vitro effects for correlation with predicted in vivo effects. Further, peer-reviewers should be encouraged to request such information during review. This is critical to scientifically transition to animal-free, reliable, robust and -- most importantly -- relevant regulatory toxicology and risk assessment approaches. Recently published studies using NAMs for the fungicides Captan and Folpet illustrate the difficulties and limitations of applying NAMs to adequately assess the toxicological relevance of these substances.

Evaluasi Manajemen Risiko Proyek Konstruksi Terhadap Biaya Operasional Proyek Menggunakan Metode AHP

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the risk management of the PT X project in order to reduce the impact of project operational cost overruns. Inherent risk during project implementation at PT X has been managed by implementing risk management referring to ISO 31000:2018. However, there are changes in risks that arise during the implementation of construction projects which cause changes in the risk profile. Methodology/Approach: The uniqueness of this research is a case study with a mixed-method approach which is analyzed using the AHP method. Findings: The results of this study state that there are seven project risk factors consisting of quality risk, economic and financial risk, technical risk, OSH risk, social risk, non-technical risk, and human resource risk. The seven factors are divided into 21 sub-factors of project risk at PT X. Practical and Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This article contributes to the updating of the relevant risk assessments in the project. Research Limitation: The limitation of this research is that the scope is only the risk management of the project implementation phase.

Protocol for the production of micro- and nanoplastic test materials

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNP) are ubiquitous, but little is known about the risks they pose to human health. Currently available data are of limited use for developing relevant risk assessments due to poor quality control, the lack of a standardised approach to particle characterisation and environmental analysis, and the use of test materials that do not reflect those found in the environment. A set of well-characterised MNP test materials would greatly alleviate this. Here, we present a robust method to produce, fractionate and characterise such test materials of PP and PVC. Initial size reduction of commercial powders or pellets to 500 µm was performed using a centrifugal mill under cryogenic conditions. Further ball-milling between room temperature and -50 °C in 1-propanol was then performed to reach the final particle sizes. Fractionation into size ranges of < 1, 1–5, 5–10, 10–30, 90–180 and 180–300 µm was performed by sedimentation and filtration. Characterisation of the reference materials through SLS, SEM–EDX, XRF and TGA demonstrated that the fractions were of the desired size and levels of contamination from the procedure were < 1 wt%. Stability testing in both 1-propanol and 0.05 wt% BSA solution showed that whilst some agglomeration occurred during storage in 1-propanol the suspensions were stable in BSA over 9 months and some of the previous agglomeration was reversed.

Association of anticholinergic drug use with postoperative mortality among patients with hip fracture. A nationwide cohort study

PurposeAnticholinergic (AC) drugs are associated with various determinantal outcomes. Data regarding the effect of AC drugs on mortality among geriatric hip fracture patients are limited and inconsistent. MethodsUsing Danish health registries, we identified 31,443 patients aged ≥65 years undergoing hip fracture surgery. AC burden was assessed 90 days before surgery by the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden (ACB) score and number of AC drugs. Logistic and Cox regression producing odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR) for 30- and 365- day mortality, adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities were computed. ResultsAC drugs were redeemed by 42% of patients. The 30-day mortality increased from 7% for patients with ACB score of 0 to 16% for patients with ACB score of ≥5, corresponding to an adjusted OR 2.5 (CI: 2.0–3.1). The equivalent adjusted HR for 365-mortality was 1.9 (CI: 1.6–2.1). Using count of AC drugs as exposure we found a stepwise increase in ORs and HRs with increased number of AC drugs; Compared to non-users, adjusted ORs for 30-days mortality were 1.6 (CI: 1.4–1.7), 1.9 (CI: 1.7–2.1), and 2.3 (CI: 1.9–2.7) for users of 1, 2 and 3+ AC drugs. HRs for 365-day mortality were 1.4 (CI: 1.3–1.5), 1.6 (CI: 1.5–1.7) and 1.8 (CI: 1.7–2.0). ConclusionUse of AC drugs was associated with increased 30-day and 365-day mortality among older adults with hip fracture. Simply counting the number of AC drugs may be a clinically relevant and easy AC risk assessment tool. Continued effort to reduce AC drug-use is relevant.

Cybersecurity Risk Assessment: A Systematic Mapping Review, Proposal, and Validation

Incorporating technologies across all sectors has meant that cybersecurity risk assessment is now a critical step in cybersecurity risk management. However, risk assessment can be a complicated process for organizations. Therefore, many authors have attempted to automate this step using qualitative and quantitative tools. The problems with the tools and the risk assessment stage in general are (1) not considering all the sub-steps of risk assessment and (2) not identifying the variables necessary for an accurate risk calculation. To address these issues, this article presents a systematic mapping review (SMR) of tools that automate the cybersecurity risk assessment stage based on studies published in the last decade. As a result, we identify and describe 35 tools from 40 primary studies. Most of the primary studies were published between 2012 and 2020, indicating an upward trend of cyber risk assessment tool publication in recent years. The main objectives of this paper are to: (I) identify the differences (reference models and applications) and coverage of the main qualitative and quantitative models, (II) identify relevant risk assessment variables, (III) propose a risk assessment model (qualitative and quantitative) that considers the main variables and sub-stages of risk assessment stage, and (IV) obtain an assessment of the proposed model by experts in the field of cybersecurity. The proposal was sent to a group of 28 cybersecurity experts who approved the proposed variables and their relevance in the cybersecurity risk assessment stage, identifying a majority use of qualitative tools but a preference of experts for quantitative tools.

Underestimated and ignored? The impacts of microplastic on soil invertebrates—Current scientific knowledge and research needs

The accumulation of plastics in the environment is a major problem in the Anthropocene. As most plastic is produced, used and discarded on land, ∼4–23 times more plastics are deposited in soils than in the oceans. However, there is far too little knowledge on the ecological consequences of plastic pollution, especially for soil ecosystems. Microplastics (&amp;lt;5 mm), whether derived from larger plastic pieces through physical, chemical and biological degradation or produced as primary particles, is of considerable interest, as they can be ingested by organisms at the basis of the trophic net and transferred to higher trophic levels. Nonetheless, although the assessment of microplastic effects on soil invertebrates is of undeniable relevance, most studies have focussed on nano- and microplastics in aquatic environments. This review examines the current state of knowledge regarding the effects of microplastics on soil invertebrates. As part of the soil biota, these organisms are of utmost importance for carbon cycling, respiration and biodiversity. Based on strict quality criteria, the data of 45 papers reporting ecotoxicological effects on soil invertebrates were analyzed, considering various test organisms and types of microplastic (in terms of polymer, shape and size). However, although different impacts were demonstrated, a deduction of general effect tendencies of microplastics in soils was difficult due to the scarcity of data and the use of diverse methodological setups. Moreover, almost all experiments were based on short-term single-species testing involving only a small number of species and single microplastic types. The review concludes with a discussion of the remaining knowledge gap and the needs for a standardized approach allowing an ecologically relevant risk assessment of the impacts of microplastic on invertebrates in terrestrial ecosystems.

Limited effects of environmentally-relevant concentrations in seawater of dibutyl phthalate, dimethyl phthalate, bisphenol A, and 4-nonylphenol on the reproductive products of coral-reef organisms

Plastic additives (PAs) are chemical compounds incorporated into the plastic during the manufacturing process. Phthalate acid esters, bisphenols, and nonylphenols are all PAs found in marine environments and associated with endocrine-disrupting processes. However, our knowledge regarding the impact of endocrine-disrupting PAs on coral-reef organisms is limited. As reef population structure is directly linked to reproduction and larval settlement processes, interference with hormonal systems can impact coral-reef community structure, particularly if the effects of PAs differ among species. In the current study we exposed the reproductive products of four tropical coral-reef invertebrates to environmentally-relevant concentrations of four prevalent PAs in seawater: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate, (DMP), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), and bisphenol A (BPA), as well as to 103 higher laboratory concentrations of these PAs. Our results revealed that apart from the significant negative effect of the 1 μg/L of 4-NP on the settlement of the soft coral Rhytisma fulvum, none of the other tested materials demonstrated a significant effect on the exposed organisms at environmentally-relevant concentrations in seawater. The 4-NP high laboratory concentration (1000 μg/L), however, had significant negative effects on all the examined species. The high laboratory BPA concentration (1000 μg/L) significantly reduced fertilization success in the solitary ascidian Herdmaniamomus, up to its complete failure to reproduce. Moreover, the high laboratory DMP concentration (100 μg/L) had a significant negative effect on planulae settlement of the stony coral Stylophora pistillata. Our findings demonstrate the negative and selective effects of PAs on the development and reproduction of coral-reef organisms; and, specifically, the significant effect found following exposure to 4-NP. Consequently, if we aim to fully understand the impact of these contaminants on this endangered ecosystem, we suggest that the actual concentrations within the living organism tissues should be tested in order to produce relevant risk assessments for brooding-coral species.