Conservative Threshold Research Articles

Analysis of seed dormancy breakage and seedling growth in sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) through the electrical stimulation method: a scientific perspective aimed at promoting bioethanol production

This pioneering study meticulously focused on the underexplored realm of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), utilizing commercial seeds to mitigate potential biases. The research intricately interwove the intricate facets of electrical stimulation, delineating its profound implications on the estimative bioethanol production of sweet sorghum, with potential extrapolation to future investigations involving sugarcane. Executed within the controlled confines of a greenhouse, after seed treatment procured from a local market, the commercial seeds underwent an electrifying metamorphosis. In the pursuit of enhancing the fresh biomass output of sweet sorghum, a nuanced interplay with electrical currents transpired. Noteworthy findings surfaced, elucidating that the attainment of optimal outcomes necessitated meticulous control over the applied electrical current. The identified optimal parameter advocated maintaining a conservative threshold of 50 mA during a seed treatment duration spanning approximately 15 min. However, as the experimental cadence intensified, the narrative evolved with a bold revelation, indicating that exploration of higher electrical currents, peaking at 150 mA, could yield favorable results under the condition of a truncated seed treatment time, notably as brief as 5 min. The delicate equilibrium achieved in this electrical choreography presented a compelling prospect for redefining the production paradigm of sweet sorghum. After analyzing the germination results, the estimative production projections derived from treatment #3 paint a vivid picture of the sorghum biomass production potential. A visionary forecast materialized, envisioning an impressive 25 t/ha of sweet sorghum, coupled with a remarkable total conversion rate into bioethanol reaching 1.5 million cubic meters. This transcendence transcends the boundaries of a conventional study; it signifies a leap into the future, pushing the envelope of conventional wisdom in the relentless pursuit of innovation in sustainable energy.

Searching for pairs of actively accreting supermassive black holes in the Gaia FPR GravLens catalog

Observational data on dual supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are scarce, even though they should be common according to the current hierarchical formation model for galaxies. We present hereby a method to detect such dual systems, involving an already known quasar, as two luminosity peaks with angular separations smaller than one arcsecond (1″). It is based on the analysis of the spatial distribution of the Gaia data delivered in the Focused Product Release (FPR), that published for the first time detections made by Gaia at the epoch level. This approach relies on the selection of elongated spatial distributions of epoch measurements, due to two clumps of detections, checked against images coming from the PanSTARRS1 and 2MASS surveys. We have analyzed the 3.8 million of quasars flagged as single in the Gaia FPR extra-galactic table and we currently end up with only 8 dual AGN candidates, applying very conservative thresholds. G-band magnitude of each of the two luminosity peaks is provided for these candidates. The mean value of the angular separation between these two components is found to be equal to 0.3″. This demonstrates the ability of Gaia epoch data to detect previously unknown dual sources, which might be compact dual AGN.

Orthopaedic Trauma and Anemia: Conservative versus Liberal Transfusion Strategy: A Prospective Randomized Study

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether it is safe to use a conservative packed red blood cell transfusion hemoglobin (Hgb) threshold (5.5 g/dL) compared with a liberal transfusion threshold (7.0 g/dL) for asymptomatic musculoskeletal injured trauma patients who are no longer in the initial resuscitative period. METHODS: Design: Prospective, randomized, multicenter trial. Setting: Three level 1 trauma centers. Patient Selection Criteria: Patients aged 18–50 with an associated musculoskeletal injury with Hgb less than 9 g/dL or expected drop below 9 g/dL with planned surgery who were stable and no longer being actively resuscitated were randomized once their Hgb dropped below 7 g/dL to a conservative transfusion threshold of 5.5 g/dL versus a liberal threshold of 7.0 g/dL. Outcome Measures and Comparisons: Postoperative infection, other post-operative complications and Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment scores obtained at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year were compared for liberal and conservative transfusion thresholds. RESULTS: Sixty-five patients completed 1 year follow-up. There was a significant association between a liberal transfusion strategy and higher rate of infection (P = 0.01), with no difference in functional outcomes at 6 months or 1 year. This study was adequately powered at 92% to detect a difference in superficial infection (7% for liberal group, 0% for conservative, P < 0.01) but underpowered to detect a difference for deep infection (14% for liberal group, 6% for conservative group, P = 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: A conservative transfusion threshold of 5.5 g/dL in an asymptomatic young trauma patient with associated musculoskeletal injuries leads to a lower infection rate without an increase in adverse outcomes and no difference in functional outcomes at 6 months or 1 year. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Real-world trough concentrations and effectiveness of long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine: a multicenter prospective observational study in Switzerland

The efficacy and tolerability of long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine were demonstrated in Phase III trials. However, low concentrations combined with other risk factors have been associated with an increased risk of virologic failure. This study aims to verify whether drug concentrations measured in a real-world setting are consistent with those previously reported. SHCS-879 is a nationwide observational study within the Swiss HIV Cohort Study for the monitoring of people with HIV (PWH) on long-acting cabotegravir plus rilpivirine. Samples were collected from March 2022 to March2023. Overall, 725 samples were obtained from 186 PWH. Our data show a large inter-individual variability in cabotegravir and rilpivirine concentrations, with some individuals exhibiting repeatedly low concentrations. Rilpivirine trough concentrations were consistent with those from Phase III trials, while cabotegravir concentrations were lower. The first concentrations quartile was only slightly above the target of 664ng/mL. Exploratory statistical analyses found 35% (p<0·01) lower cabotegravir trough in males compared to females. Overall, 172 PWH (92%) remained suppressed and three experienced virologic failures (1·6%), of those, two had sub-optimal drug exposure. No association was found between low trough levels and detectable viral load. Real-world cabotegravir concentrations are substantially lower than previously reported. However, these concentrations appear sufficient to ensure sustained virological suppression in almost every PWH. These reassuring data challenge the rather conservative thresholds adopted to date, which may raise unnecessary concerns. Yet, our study reveals that some PWH have repeatedly very low drug levels, for reasons that remain to be elucidated. This work was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, grant number N◦ 324730_192449. This study received no support from pharmaceutical industries. This study was performed within the framework of the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant #201369), by SHCS project #879, and by the SHCS research foundation. The SHCS data were gathered by the Five Swiss University Hospitals, two Cantonal Hospitals, 15 affiliated hospitals and 36 private physicians (listed in http://www.shcs.ch/180-health-care-providers).

Characterizing the effects of chemotherapy on the brain of patients with head and neck cancer using FDG PET

AbstractBackgroundChemotherapy has known adverse effects on the brain. From small (N&lt;30) studies primarily in breast cancer, we know that post‐chemotherapy brain changes can be detected with 18F ‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET), but this has been relatively unexplored in other cancers, and has not been explored in patients with head and neck cancer (HNCa) (Chen, 2018). Patients with HNCa have 2‐3 times the risk of dementia after therapy compared to controls and may be particularly vulnerable given underlying lower levels of education and heavy tobacco and alcohol use (Zer, 2018). We will determine which areas of the brain are most vulnerable to the chemotherapy in HNCa with FDG PET.MethodPatients with HNCa were identified from Vanderbilt’s Cancer Registry, limited to patients with FDG PET in the last year (2021). Clinical data was mined from the electronic health record. Images were processed with well‐established SPM12 methods (Friston, 1995). A voxel‐wise ANCOVA was performed on FDG PET images before and after chemotherapy, including covariates of age, sex, ethnicity, and time between chemotherapy and follow‐up imaging using conservative family wise error of &lt;0.05 and voxel extent threshold of 10.Result68 patients with HNCa met inclusion criteria and all patients received Carboplatin‐based chemotherapy (Table 1). Compared to baseline, 17 clusters met conservative significance thresholds with decreases in glucose metabolism following treatment (Figure 1). These included large regions (46397 1.5mm3 voxels) in the frontal and temporal lobes (pFWE = &lt;0.001). Specifically, there was significantly decreased glucose metabolism in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA 9), frontoparietal cortex (BA 10), orbital frontal cortex (BA 11), medial and superior temporal gyri (BA 21, 22), dorsal (BA 24), and the subgenual (BA 25), pregenual (BA 32), and rostral (BA 33) anterior cingulate cortex post‐chemotherapy.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the effects of chemotherapy in HNCa, a population particularly vulnerable to these effects. We found that regions in the forebrain and temporal lobes are most vulnerable. Studies like these are important to establish and confirm spatial distributions of these effects which will be crucial for development of diagnostics and monitoring tools for these effects.

Establishing Chronic Toxicity Effect Levels for Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Exposed to Perfluorooctane Sulfonate.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are among the aquatic species most sensitive to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Environmental regulatory agencies and researchers use effect benchmarks from laboratory zebrafish PFOS toxicity studies in PFOS-spiked water to calculate PFOS aquatic life criteria. Threshold values as low as 0.7 µg/L (identified in an early, limited scope study) have been used in criteria derivation and site-specific aquatic ecological risk assessments. The present study reviews PFOS effects benchmarks for lethality, growth, and reproduction endpoints from more than 20 zebrafish toxicity studies, including a recent multigenerational study conducted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research & Development Center. Our review of 12 key studies examining long-term, chronic exposures (including multigenerational exposures of 300 days or more) indicated that 0.7 µg/L should not be used as a conservative screening threshold given that effects could not be repeated at this concentration by the recent enhanced multigenerational study. Based on this finding and multiple chronic sublethal studies on PFOS in zebrafish, chronic effects on lethality, growth, and reproduction occur at concentrations two orders of magnitude higher than 0.7 µg/L. Overall, the present review indicates a no-effect screening level of 31 µg/L and a low-effect screening level of 96 µg/L should be used to develop PFOS aquatic life criteria and to inform site-specific ecological risk assessments that are charged with evaluating risks to freshwater fish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:7-18. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Gene-metabolite annotation with shortest reactional distance enhances metabolite genome-wide association studies results

Metabolite genome-wide association studies (mGWAS) have advanced our understanding of the genetic control of metabolite levels. However, interpreting these associations remains challenging due to a lack of tools to annotate gene-metabolite pairs beyond the use of conservative statistical significance threshold. Here, we introduce the shortest reactional distance (SRD) metric, drawing from the comprehensive KEGG database, to enhance the biological interpretation of mGWAS results. We applied this approach to three independent mGWAS, including a case study on sickle cell disease patients. Our analysis reveals an enrichment of small SRD values in reported mGWAS pairs, with SRD values significantly correlating with mGWAS p values, even beyond the standard conservative thresholds. We demonstrate the utility of SRD annotation in identifying potential false negatives and inaccuracies within current metabolic pathway databases. Our findings highlight the SRD metric as an objective, quantitative and easy-to-compute annotation for gene-metabolite pairs, suitable to integrate statistical evidence to biological networks.

An Anterior Spike Decreases Bone-Implant Micromotion in Cementless Tibial Baseplates for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Biomechanical Study

BackgroundCementless tibial baseplates in total knee arthroplasty include fixation features (eg, pegs, spikes, and keels) to ensure sufficient primary bone-implant stability. While the design of these features plays a fundamental role in biologic fixation, the effectiveness of anterior spikes in reducing bone-implant micromotion remains unclear. Therefore, we asked: Can an anterior spike reduce the bone-implant micromotion of cementless tibial implants? MethodsWe performed computational finite element analyses on 13 tibiae using the computed tomography scans of patients scheduled for primary total knee arthroplasty. The tibiae were virtually implanted with a cementless tibial baseplate with 2 designs of fixation of the baseplate: 2 pegs and 2 pegs with an anterior spike. We compared the bone-implant micromotion under the most demanding loads from stair ascent between both designs. ResultsBoth fixation designs had peak micromotion at the anterior-lateral edge of the baseplate. The design with 2 pegs and an anterior spike had up to 15% lower peak micromotion and up to 14% more baseplate area with micromotions below the most conservative threshold for ingrowth, 20 μm, than the design with only 2 pegs. The greatest benefit of adding an anterior spike occurred for subjects who had the smallest area of tibial bone below the 20 μm threshold (ie, most at risk for failure to achieve bone ingrowth). ConclusionsAn anteriorly placed spike for cementless tibial baseplates with 2 pegs can help decrease the bone-implant micromotion during stair ascent, especially for subjects with increased bone-implant micromotion and risk for bone ingrowth failure.

Text length effects on the reliability of syntactic complexity indices

Automated tools are widely used to assess syntactic complexity in second language (L2) writing studies; however, the effects of text length on syntactic complexity indices remain unclear. This can pose a challenge when studying underrepresented populations (e.g., young learners, adults with limited literacy skills), as their lower proficiency may result in less text production. To address this issue, we investigated the minimum text length threshold at which automated measures of syntactic complexity become the most reliable while considering L2 proficiency and prompt topic. Essays from the ICNALE corpus, a dataset of 5,200 essays with four proficiency levels, were used to create a dataset of texts of varying lengths (50, 100, 150, and 200 words). Mixed-effects regression models showed that seven out of 14 indices were not affected by text length regardless of learner proficiency and prompt topic. The other seven differed only between the 50- and 200-word texts within intermediate levels. We suggest a minimum of 100 words as a conservative threshold for the reliability of syntactic complexity indices. Finally, we emphasize the importance of transparent reporting practice regarding text length information.

What factors predict anti‐Black bias in pain perception? An internal meta‐analysis across 40 experimental studies

AbstractRacial disparities in pain care affecting Black Americans are mirrored by a similar perceptual bias: perceivers see pain less readily on Black (vs. White) faces. Here, we examine the findings of the initial wave of research on this phenomenon, described herein as anti‐Black bias in pain perception. Specifically, we conducted an internal meta‐analysis across 40 studies conducted in the U.S. with primarily White samples (N = 6252) assessing the generalizability, robustness, and psychological correlates of anti‐Black bias in pain perception. We also assessed the evidence for accounts of this bias focused on intergroup processes, racialized stereotypes and prejudice, dehumanization, and contact. This meta‐analysis strongly confirms our prior findings. Moreover, anti‐Black bias in pain perception is consistently associated with bias in treatment recommendations. These effects are robust to differences in stimuli, samples, and perceiver gender and race. Notably, both Black and White perceivers demonstrate more conservative perceptual thresholds for seeing pain on Black faces, suggesting this bias is not merely a consequence of group membership. Further, increased dehumanization of and decreased intergroup contact with Black individuals predicts biased pain perception and treatment recommendations, though these effects were small. These results demonstrate the robustness of anti‐Black bias in pain perception and establish a strong foundation for future inquiry.

Preliminary Study on Indoor Air Temperature and Moisture Behaviour in 13th-Century Churches in Latvia

The microclimate plays a crucial role in the conservation of historical cult buildings and their artifacts for future generations. In order to conserve these buildings and their artifacts, it is imperative to ensure that the microclimate is conserved. The norms and standards existing so far in Latvia do not stipulate thresholds for air parameters that would ensure a conserving microclimate for historical cult buildings. In order to identify these thresholds, the air parameters were measured simultaneously at nine measuring points within the Krimulda Church (LV) of the 13th century. The temperatures of the surfaces of the building envelope and potential condensation were calculated using the actual data of indoor and outside air. The indoor and outdoor air humidity ratio was calculated for each measurement. The conservation threshold of indoor microclimate parameters was determined by using intermittent heating on the basis of the air parameter fluctuations and calculations. The moisture vapours from the building structures were quantified in this research. The indoor humidity ratio during the warm season and the upper threshold during the heating season were determined.

Corneal damage threshold induced by supercontinuum source: A further study.

Previous report shows that corneal spot size is an important influence factor on damage threshold induced by supercontinumm (SC) source. However, damage thresholds were determined for the spot size of only 0.37 mm due to the low output of the employed SC source at that time. The objectives of this study are to determine the lowest possible corneal damage threshold at a large corneal spot size using a more powerful SC source and provide data for the future possible refinements of laser safety standards. A series of experiments was conducted in the New Zealand white rabbit model to determine the corneal damage threshold induced by a 900-2000 nm SC source, with corneal 1/e beam diameter of about 1.2 mm. Slit-lamp biomicroscope was employed to reveal the corneal damage characteristics. By employing the action spectra determined through the analysis of current laser safety guidelines and standards, the effective damage threshold could be calculated. The determined damage threshold given in terms of the peak radiant exposure for the exposure duration of 0.14 s was 44.3 J/cm2 . At threshold level, corneal damages involved the epithelium and the shallower stroma. The safety factor between the effective damage threshold and the corresponding maximum permissible exposure (MPE) was about 45. Present corneal MPEs in the wavelength range of 700-1200 nm may be conservative and corneal damage thresholds for the infrared A wavelengths should be determined in future studies.

FEMA GRAS assessment of natural flavor complexes: Sage oil, Orris Root Extract and Tagetes Oil and related flavoring ingredients.

In recent years, the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) has conducted a program to re-evaluate the safety of natural flavor complexes (NFCs) used as flavor ingredients. This publication, twelfth in the series, details the re-evaluation of NFCs whose constituent profiles are characterized by alicyclic or linear ketones. In its re-evaluation, the Expert Panel applies a scientific constituent-based procedure for the safety evaluation of NFCs in commerce using a congeneric group approach. Estimated intakes of each congeneric group of the NFC are evaluated using the well-established and conservative Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approach. In addition, studies on the toxicity and genotoxicity of members of the congeneric groups and the NFCs under evaluation are reviewed. The scope of the safety evaluation of the NFCs contained herein does not include added use in dietary supplements or any products other than food. Thirteen (13) NFCs derived from the Boronia, Cinnamomum, Thuja, Ruta, Salvia, Tagetes, Hyssopus, Iris, Perilla and Artemisia genera are affirmed as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) under conditions of their intended use as flavor ingredients based on an evaluation of each NFC and the constituents and congeneric groups therein.

Familial Risk for Schizophrenia vs Bipolar Disorder and Task-Based Neural Activation: A functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Meta-Analysis.

Individuals at familial risk for developing schizophrenia (FRSZ) or bipolar disorder (FRBD) have shared and unique genetic risks. Few studies have compared neural activation between these two groups. Therefore, the present meta-analysis investigated functional brain similarities and differences between FRSZ and FRBD individuals. A systematic literature review was conducted of articles that compared FRSZ or FRBD individuals to healthy controls (31 FRSZ and 22 FRBD). Seed-based d mapping was used to conduct the meta-analysis. Analyses included comparisons of FRSZ to controls, FRBD to controls, and both relative groups to each other. Using a highly conservative family-wise error rate correction, there were no significant findings. Using a less conservative threshold, FRSZ compared to controls had lower activation in the left precuneus (Puncorrected = .02) across all studies and in the left middle frontal gyrus (Puncorrected = .03) in nonsocial cognition studies. FRBD compared to controls had lower activation in the left superior parietal gyrus (Puncorrected = .03) and right angular gyrus (Puncorrected = .03) in nonsocial cognition studies, and higher activation in the left superior frontal gyrus (Puncorrected = .01) in social tasks. Differences between FRSZ and FRBD were not significant. There were few robust differences between FRSZ or FRBD compared to controls. This suggests only weak support for neural activation differences between individuals at genetic risk for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and controls. The tentative findings observed were in different brain regions for FRSZ and FRBD, with no strong evidence for shared effects between schizophrenia and bipolar genetic risk on neural activation.

CBD-oil as a potential solution in case of severe tamoxifen-related side effects

Tamoxifen may lead to bothersome side effects contributing to non-compliance and decreased quality of life. Patients searching for relief are increasingly turning to cannabinoids such as CBD-oil. However, CBD-oil might affect tamoxifen pharmacokinetics (PK) through CYP2D6 inhibition. The aims of this open-label, single-arm study were (1) to determine the PK profile of tamoxifen when using CBD-oil, and (2) to subsequently investigate whether CBD-oil has a beneficial influence on side effects. Study patients had to have steady-state endoxifen concentrations ≥16 nM (conservative threshold). PK sampling and side effect assessment was done at initiation of CBD-oil and 28 days thereafter. Bio-equivalence could be concluded if the 90% confidence interval (CI) for the difference in endoxifen AUC fell within the [−20%; +25%] interval. The effect of CBD-oil on side effects was evaluated using the FACT-ES questionnaire. Endoxifen AUC decreased after CBD-oil by 12.6% (n = 15, 90% CI −18.7%, −6.1%) but remained within bio-equivalence boundaries. The endocrine sub-scale of the FACT-ES improved clinically relevant with 6.7 points (n = 26, p < 0.001) and health-related quality of life improved with 4.7 points after using CBD (95% CI + 1.8, +7.6). We conclude that CBD-oil, if of good quality and with a dosage below 50 mg, does not have to be discouraged in patients using it for tamoxifen-related side effects. Clinical trial registration: International Clinical Trial Registry Platform (NL8786; https://www.who.int/clinical-trials-registry-platform).

Impact and cost-effectiveness of short-course tuberculosis preventive treatment for household contacts and people with HIV in 29 high-incidence countries: a modelling analysis

Guidelines and implementation of tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) vary by age and HIV status. Specifically, TPT is strongly recommended for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and household contacts younger than 5 years but only conditionally recommended for older contacts. Cost remains a major barrier to implementation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of TPT for household contacts and PLWHA. We developed a state-transition model to simulate short-course TPT for household contacts and PLWHA in 29 high-incidence countries based on data from previous studies and public databases. Our primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, expressed as incremental discounted costs (2020 US$, including contact investigation costs) per incremental discounted disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted, compared with a scenario without any TPT or contact investigation. We propagated uncertainty in all model parameters using probabilistic sensitivity analysis and also evaluated the sensitivity of results to the screening algorithm used to rule out active disease, the choice of TPT regimen, the modelling time horizon, assumptions about TPT coverage, antiretroviral therapy discontinuation, and secondary transmission. Between 2023 and 2035, scaling up TPT prevented 0·9 (95% uncertainty interval 0·4-1·6) people from developing tuberculosis and 0·13 (0·05-0·27) tuberculosis deaths per 100 PLWHA, at an incremental cost of $15 (9-21) per PLWHA. For household contacts, TPT (with contact investigation) averted 1·1 (0·5-2·0) cases and 0·7 (0·4-1·0) deaths per 100 contacts, at a cost of $21 (17-25) per contact. Cost-effectiveness was most favourable for household contacts younger than 5 years ($22 per DALY averted) and contacts aged 5-14 years ($104 per DALY averted) but also fell within conservative cost-effectiveness thresholds in many countries for PLWHA ($722 per DALY averted) and adult contacts ($309 per DALY averted). Costs per DALY averted tended to be lower when compared with a scenario with contact investigation but no TPT. The cost-effectiveness of TPT was not substantially altered in sensitivity analyses, except that TPT was more favourable in analysis that considered a longer time horizon or included secondary transmission benefits. In many high-incidence countries, short-course TPT is likely to be cost-effective for PLWHA and household contacts of all ages, regardless of whether contact investigation is already in place. Failing to implement tuberculosis contact investigation and TPT will incur a large burden of avertable illness and mortality in the next decade. Unitaid.

Novel deep learning method for coronary artery tortuosity detection through coronary angiography

Coronary artery tortuosity is usually an undetected condition in patients undergoing coronary angiography. This condition requires a longer examination by the specialist to be detected. Yet, detailed knowledge of the morphology of coronary arteries is essential for planning any interventional treatment, such as stenting. We aimed to analyze coronary artery tortuosity in coronary angiography with artificial intelligence techniques to develop an algorithm capable of automatically detecting this condition in patients. This work uses deep learning techniques, in particular, convolutional neural networks, to classify patients into tortuous or non-tortuous based on their coronary angiography. The developed model was trained both on left (Spider) and right (45°/0°) coronary angiographies following a fivefold cross-validation procedure. A total of 658 coronary angiographies were included. Experimental results demonstrated satisfactory performance of our image-based tortuosity detection system, with a test accuracy of (87 ± 6)%. The deep learning model had a mean area under the curve of 0.96 ± 0.03 over the test sets. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values of the model for detecting coronary artery tortuosity were (87 ± 10)%, (88 ± 10)%, (89 ± 8)%, and (88 ± 9)%, respectively. Deep learning convolutional neural networks were found to have comparable sensitivity and specificity with independent experts’ radiological visual examination for detecting coronary artery tortuosity for a conservative threshold of 0.5. These findings have promising applications in the field of cardiology and medical imaging.

Calculation of internal-wave-driven instability and vortex shedding along a flat bottom

The instability and vortex shedding in the bottom boundary layer caused by internal solitary waves of depression propagating along a shallow pycnocline of a fluid are computed by finite-volume code in two dimensions. The calculated transition to instability agrees very well with laboratory experiments (Carret al.,Phys. Fluids, vol. 20, issue 6, 2008, 06603) but disagrees with existing computations that give a very conservative instability threshold. The instability boundary expressed by the amplitude depends on the depth$d$of the pycnocline divided by the water depth$H$, and decays by a factor of 2.2 when$d/H$is 0.21, and by a factor of 1.6 when$d/H$is 0.16, and the stratification Reynolds number increases by a factor of 32. The instability occurs at moderate amplitude at large scale. The calculated oscillatory bed shear stress is strong in the wave phase and increases with the scale. Its non-dimensional magnitude at stratification Reynolds number 650 000 is comparable to the turbulent stress that can be extracted from field measurements of internal solitary waves of similar nonlinearity, moving along a pycnocline of similar relative depth.

Large sardine resource discovered off south-eastern Australia: Potential risks, challenges and benefits of establishing a new fishery

This paper documents the discovery of a large sardine (Sardinops sagax) resource off South-eastern Australia. We use information from three ichthyoplankton surveys for jack mackerel to apply the Daily Egg Production Method (DEPM) to the South-eastern sardine stock. Mean daily egg production was estimated from survey data. Spawning area was estimated from the surveys and using a habitat suitability model to predict presence/absence of eggs in unsurveyed areas. Spawning biomass was calculated using adult parameters from the adjacent Southern stock. The spawning biomass in the area surveyed was 262,564 t (95% CI 125,670–326–438 t). Habitat modelling using a conservative threshold suggested that the total spawning biomass was 346,388 t (95% CI 143,936–548,840 t). These results suggest this stock has the capacity to sustain an annual catch of several tens of thousands of tonnes, which is considerably larger than the recent catch of < 2500 t. Our findings provide further evidence that opportunities exist to increase Australia’s fisheries production. Risks and challenges associated with establishing a new large-scale sardine fishery, including bycatch and ecological impacts, and opposition from conservation groups and recreational fishers are discussed. We also outline the potential socio-economic and environmental benefits, including the use of marine protein and oil from a sustainable local source with low environmental impacts as an input to the AU$1.3B Tasmanian salmon aquaculture industry. We emphasize the need to adopt a precautionary approach to developing a new fishery and the critical importance of conducting comprehensive surveys to confirm our findings and inform ongoing management.

Anti-Spike Antibody Responses in Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant Recipients to Two Doses of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination: A Retrospective, Single-Center Analysis.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recipients were excluded from the initial SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination efficacy trials. Suboptimal vaccine responses have been reported in immunocompromised cohorts such as patients with solid tumors or hematologic malignancies, suggesting the need for additional research. Widespread data on the antibody responses and vaccine efficacy in allo-HSCT recipients is limited. In our single-center, retrospective study, we analyzed the anti-spike IgG antibody responses in 75 allo-HSCT recipients who received a series of two doses of mRNA vaccination. We collected data on previous COVID-19 infection, B and T lymphocyte recovery, donor types, graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD), and immunosuppressive medications at the time of vaccination. With the original variant, a cutoff of 4,160 arbitrary units (AU)/mL has been correlated with a 0.95 probability of a viral neutralization. We also examined the number of allo-HSCT recipients who achieved this conservative threshold. To our knowledge, no correlate exists for the currently prevalent Omicron variant and viral neutralization. Despite 29.3% (22/75) of patients being on systemic immunosuppressive medications due to chronic GVHD, positive antibody responses > 50 AU/mL were seen in 96% of patients. However, only 48% (36/75) of patients were above the neutralizing antibody threshold. Those with previous COVID-19 infection had significantly higher antibody responses. Although encouraging, the variability of the responses underscores the concept of ongoing antibody monitoring as well as consideration of additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in this cohort.