Assessment of the utility of underwater hyperspectral imaging for surveying and monitoring coral reef ecosystems.

Technological innovations that improve the speed, scale, reproducibility, and accuracy of monitoring surveys will allow for a better understanding of the global decline in tropical reef health. The DiveRay, a diver-operated hyperspectral imager, and a complementary machine learning pipeline to automate the analysis of hyperspectral imagery were developed for this purpose. To evaluate the use of a hyperspectral imager underwater, the automated classification of benthic taxa in reef communities was tested. Eight reefs in Guam were surveyed and two approaches for benthic classification were employed: high taxonomic resolution categories and broad benthic categories. The results from the DiveRay surveys were validated against data from concurrently conducted photoquadrat surveys to determine their accuracy and utility as a proxy for reef surveys. The high taxonomic resolution classifications did not reliably predict benthic communities when compared to those obtained by standard photoquadrat analysis. At the level of broad benthic categories, however, the hyperspectral results were comparable to those of the photoquadrat analysis. This was particularly true when estimating scleractinian coral cover, which was accurately predicted for six out of the eight sites. The annotation libraries generated for this study were insufficient to train the model to fully account for the high biodiversity on Guam's reefs. As such, prediction accuracy is expected to improve with additional surveying and image annotation. This study is the first to directly compare the results from underwater hyperspectral scanning with those from traditional photoquadrat survey techniques across multiple sites with two levels of identification resolution and different degrees of certainty. Our findings show that dependent on a well-annotated library, underwater hyperspectral imaging can be used to quickly, repeatedly, and accurately monitor and map dynamic benthic communities on tropical reefs using broad benthic categories.

Community assessment of crustose calcifying red algae as coral recruitment substrates.

Successful recruitment of invertebrate larvae to reef substrates is essential to the health of tropical coral reef ecosystems and to their capacity to recover from disturbances. Crustose calcifying red algae (CCRA) are a species rich group of seaweeds that have been identified as important recruitment substrates for scleractinian corals. Most studies on the settlement preference of coral larvae on CCRA use morphological species identifications that can lead to unreliable species identification and do not allow for examining species-specific interactions between coral larvae and CCRA. Accurate identifications of CCRA species is important for coral reef restoration and management to assess CCRA community composition and to detect CCRA species that are favored as coral recruitment substrates. In this study, DNA sequence analysis, was used to identify CCRA species to (1) investigate the species richness and community composition of CCRA on experimental coral recruitment tiles and (2) assess if the coral Acropora surculosa preferred any of these CCRA species as recruitment substrates. The CCRA community assemblages on the coral recruitment tiles was species-rich, comprising 27 distinct CCRA species of the orders Corallinales and Peyssonneliales which constitute new species records for Guam. Lithophylloideae sp. 1 (Corallinales) was the CCRA species that was significantly favored by coral larvae as a recruitment substrate. Lithophylloideae sp. 1 showed to hold a valuable ecological role for coral larval recruitment preference. Lithophylloideae sp. 1 had the highest benthic cover on the recruitment tiles and contained most A. surculosa recruits. DNA barcoding revealed a high taxonomic diversity of CCRA species on a microhabitat scale and provided detailed insight into the species-specific ecological interactions between CCRA and corals. With a steady decline in coral cover, detailed information on species interactions that drive reef recovery is valuable for the planning of marine management actions and restoration efforts.

Diabetic macular oedema and diode subthreshold micropulse laser (DIAMONDS): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In the UK, macular laser is the treatment of choice for people with diabetic macular oedema with central retinal subfield thickness (CST) < 400 µm, as per National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines. It remains unclear whether subthreshold micropulse laser is superior and should replace standard threshold laser for the treatment of eligible patients. METHODS: DIAMONDS is a pragmatic, multicentre, allocation-concealed, randomised, equivalence, double-masked clinical trial that aims to determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of subthreshold micropulse laser compared with standard threshold laser, for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema with CST < 400 µm. The primary outcome is the mean change in best-corrected visual acuity in the study eye from baseline to month 24 post treatment. Secondary outcomes (at 24 months) include change in binocular best corrected visual acuity; CST; mean deviation of the Humphrey 10-2 visual field; change in percentage of people meeting driving standards; European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions, National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire-25 and VisQoL scores; incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained; side effects; number of laser treatments and use of additional therapies. The primary statistical analysis will be per protocol rather than intention-to-treat analysis because the latter increases type I error in non-inferiority or equivalence trials. The difference between lasers for change in best-corrected visual acuity (using 95% CI) will be compared to the permitted maximum difference of five Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters. Linear and logistic regression models will be used to compare outcomes between treatment groups. A Markov-model-based cost-utility analysis will extend beyond the trial period to estimate longer-term cost-effectiveness. DISCUSSION: This trial will determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of subthreshold micropulse laser, when compared with standard threshold laser, for the treatment of diabetic macular oedema, the main cause of sight loss in people with diabetes mellitus. TRIAL REGISTRATION: International Standard Randomised Controlled Trials, ISRCTN17742985 . Registered on 19 May 2017 (retrospectively registered).

Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency.

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds pose a substantial risk to the aquatic environment. Ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estrone (E1) have recently been included in a watch list of environmental pollutants under the European Water Framework Directive. Municipal wastewater treatment plants are major contributors to the estrogenic potency of surface waters. Much of the estrogenic potency of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents can be attributed to the discharge of steroid estrogens including estradiol (E2), EE2 and E1 due to incomplete removal of these substances at the treatment plant. An evaluation of the efficacy of wastewater treatment processes requires the quantitative determination of individual substances most often undertaken using chemical analysis methods. Most frequently used methods include Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS/MS) or Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LCMS/MS) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Although very useful for regulatory purposes, targeted chemical analysis can only provide data on the compounds (and specific metabolites) monitored. Ecotoxicology methods additionally ensure that any by-products produced or unknown estrogenic compounds present are also assessed via measurement of their biological activity. A number of in vitro bioassays including the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) are available to measure the estrogenic activity of wastewater samples. Chemical analysis in conjunction with in vivo and in vitro bioassays provides a useful toolbox for assessment of the efficacy and suitability of wastewater treatment processes with respect to estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds. This paper utilizes a battery of chemical and ecotoxicology tests to assess conventional, advanced and emerging wastewater treatment processes in laboratory and field studies.

Hepatic radioembolization from transradial access: initial experience and comparison to transfemoral access.

PURPOSE: Despite the growing evidence in the cardiology literature that transradial approach has substantial benefits over transfemoral access, this technique is rarely used during interventions in the systemic circulation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of transradial approach for hepatic radioembolization and to compare it with transfemoral approach. METHODS: Sixty-four hepatic radioembolizations performed in 50 patients were included in the study. Thirty-three procedures were performed via radial access in 27 patients, and 31 procedures were performed via femoral access in 23 patients. RESULTS: There was 100% technical success in performing hepatic radioembolization in both groups. The majority (97%) of the patients who underwent transradial radioembolization reported preference for radial artery access. The fluoroscopy time was significantly longer (9.45±5.09 min vs. 5.72±3.67 min, P < 0.01) and the radiation dose was significantly higher (597.8±585.2 mGy vs. 302.8±208.3 mGy, P < 0.01) in the radial group compared with the femoral group. The direct cost savings using radial access versus femoral access is approximately $100/procedure. In addition, there was a one hour (50%) shorter postprocedural stay for patients who underwent the transradial procedure. CONCLUSION: Transradial access is feasible for hepatic radioembolization. The transradial approach is cheaper and offers improved patient comfort. However, it is technically challenging, with longer fluoroscopy times and higher radiation doses. Transradial approach should be considered as a primary choice in patients with low platelet count and/or morbid obesity. Transradial access should be in the procedural repertoire of every interventional radiologist.