Species biofouling risk assessment

Marine biological invasions have increased throughout the world’s oceans to the extent that no region is considered ‘pristine’. At least 1781 species have been identified as introduced in marine or estuarine systems somewhere in the world. Many of these species have been introduced to several regions, inferring an ease of transport by human-mediated mechanisms. A substantial number of these species have either demonstrable or inferred impacts. Marine species have been transported around the world in many ways, both intentionally and accidentally. Concern has typically focused on vessel traffic, specifically the transport of species in ballast water, which is used for trim and stability of commercial vessels. This led to the development of the International Maritime Organization’s International convention for the control and management of ship's ballast water and sediments that was adopted in 2004. More recently, attention has shifted to species that attach to the external surfaces of vessels, including commercial, fishing, and non-trading vessels such as barges, dredges, tugs and recreational yachts. Such species are collectively known as biofouling. Science-based risk assessment is a key element of Australia’s biosecurity system and underpins the nation’s biosecurity policies. However, there are currently no Australian regulatory measures for preventing the introduction of invasive marine species through biofouling. The objective of this project was to conduct a risk assessment to identify and assess the biosecurity risk to Australia associated with the entry, establishment and spread of marine pest species as biofouling. This risk assessment is therefore intended to inform Australian Government policy development for continued management of marine pest risks as biofouling. The risk assessment followed a five-step process: identifying endpoints identifying hazards determining consequences determining likelihood calculating risk. Risk was evaluated across three identified endpoints: inoculation, establishment and spread. International voyages to Australia were assessed for the risk they pose in relation to inoculation and establishment. Likelihood of domestic spread was assessed through analysis of domestic movement of international shipping, other domestic vessel movements/traffic and through natural means. Key hazards for Australia were deemed to be those species with a recognised invasion history, but not currently known to be present in Australian waters. More than 1781 species that have been identified as being introduced to some region of the world were evaluated for their association with biofouling and transport pressure. Species association with biofouling was assessed on the basis of life history characteristics. Transport pressure was calculated as a function of the intersection between a species’ global distribution and the opportunities for transport calculated as a combination of the number of vessels arriving in Australia from regions where a species is present. The consequence (or impact) was assessed for each species on four core values of environment, economic, social/cultural and human health, based on information derived from the literature. The vast majority of species had neither demonstrable nor inferred impacts stated in the published literature, significantly decreasing the ability to assess risk. For those species with available information about their consequence, risk was calculated as the product of likelihood and consequence. The result of this analysis was a restricted suite of 56 species that have a high probability of arrival into Australian waters and the potential to cause moderate to extreme impacts across one or more of the four core values if successfully introduced

Slogging and Stumbling Toward Social Justice in a Private Elementary School: The Complicated Case of St. Malachy

This case study examines St. Malachy, an urban Catholic elementary school primarily serving children traditionally marginalized by race, class, linguistic heritage, and disability. As a private school, St. Malachy serves the public good by recruiting and retaining such traditionally marginalized students. As empirical studies involving Catholic schools frequently juxtapose them with public schools, the author presents this examination from a different tack. Neither vilifying nor glorifying Catholic schooling, this study critically examines the pursuit of social justice in this school context. Data gathered through a 1-year study show that formal and informal leaders in St. Malachy adapted their governance, aggressively sought community resources, and focused their professional development to build the capacity to serve their increasingly pluralistic student population. The analysis confirms the deepening realization that striving toward social justice is a messy, contradictory, and complicated pursuit, and that schools in both public and private sectors are allies in this pursuit

Metastatic deaths in retinoblastoma patients treated with intraarterial chemotherapy (ophthalmic artery chemosurgery) worldwide.

Ophthalmic artery chemosurgery [OAC, intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC)] was introduced in 2006 as treatment modality for intraocular retinoblastoma. The purpose of this commentary is to retrospectively review the incidence of metastatic deaths in retinoblastoma patients treated with OAC worldwide over a 10 year period. Retrospective data regarding metastatic deaths was collected from six international retinoblastoma centers (New York City USA, Philadelphia USA, Sao Paulo Brazil, Siena Italy, Lausanne Switzerland and Buenos Aires Argentina). All retinoblastoma patients from these centers (naive and recurrent, unilateral and bilateral) treated with OAC/IAC since 2006 have been included in this study. Data regarding number of patients, number of OAC/IAC infusions, number unilateral and bilateral, number treated for naive disease or salvage and number of metastatic deaths have been assessed. Over a 10-year period of time 1139 patients received OAC/IAC for 4396 infusions. At last follow-up there were only three metastatic deaths (all treated in Buenos Aires). The current survey assessed the recorded risk of metastatic deaths in six retinoblastoma centers worldwide in children with retinoblastoma (unilateral or bilateral) treated with OAC/IAC as primary or secondary therapy. Overall, the observed risk for metastatic deaths from retinoblastoma was <1% in OAC/IAC treated children

Outcome Measures of New Technologies in Uveal Melanoma Review from the European Vision Institute Special Interest Focus Group Meeting

Uveal melanoma UM is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults. New diagnostic procedures and basic science discoveries continue to change our patient management paradigms. A recent meeting of the European Vision Institute EVI special interest focus group was held on Outcome Measures of New Technologies in Uveal Melanoma, addressing the latest advances in UM, starting with genetic developments, then moving on to imaging and treatment of the primary tumor, as well as to investigating the most recent developments in treating metastases, and eventually taking care of the patient s well being. This review highlights the meeting s presentations in the context of the published literatur

Study of the lineshape of the chi(c1) (3872) state

A study of the lineshape of the chi(c1) (3872) state is made using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 3 fb(-1) collected in pp collisions at center-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV with the LHCb detector. Candidate chi(c1)(3872) and psi(2S) mesons from b-hadron decays are selected in the J/psi pi(+)pi(-) decay mode. Describing the lineshape with a Breit-Wigner function, the mass splitting between the chi(c1 )(3872) and psi(2S) states, Delta m, and the width of the chi(c1 )(3872) state, Gamma(Bw), are determined to be (Delta m=185.598 +/- 0.067 +/- 0.068 Mev,)(Gamma BW=1.39 +/- 0.24 +/- 0.10 Mev,) where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. Using a Flatte-inspired model, the mode and full width at half maximum of the lineshape are determined to be (mode=3871.69+0.00+0.05 MeV.)(FWHM=0.22-0.04+0.13+0.07+0.11-0.06-0.13 MeV, ) An investigation of the analytic structure of the Flatte amplitude reveals a pole structure, which is compatible with a quasibound D-0(D) over bar*(0) state but a quasivirtual state is still allowed at the level of 2 standard deviations

Measurement of the CKM angle γγ in B±→DK±B^\pm\to D K^\pm and B±→Dπ±B^\pm \to D π^\pm decays with D→KS0h+h−D \to K_\mathrm S^0 h^+ h^-

A measurement of $CP$-violating observables is performed using the decays $B^\pm\to D K^\pm$ and $B^\pm\to D \pi^\pm$, where the $D$ meson is reconstructed in one of the self-conjugate three-body final states $K_{\mathrm S}\pi^+\pi^-$ and $K_{\mathrm S}K^+K^-$ (commonly denoted $K_{\mathrm S} h^+h^-$). The decays are analysed in bins of the $D$-decay phase space, leading to a measurement that is independent of the modelling of the $D$-decay amplitude. The observables are interpreted in terms of the CKM angle $\gamma$. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9\,\text{fb}^{-1}$ collected in proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of $7$, $8$, and $13\,\text{TeV}$ with the LHCb experiment, $\gamma$ is measured to be $\left(68.7^{+5.2}_{-5.1}\right)^\circ$. The hadronic parameters $r_B^{DK}$, $r_B^{D\pi}$, $\delta_B^{DK}$, and $\delta_B^{D\pi}$, which are the ratios and strong-phase differences of the suppressed and favoured $B^\pm$ decays, are also reported

Measurement of CP asymmetries and branching fraction ratios of B− decays to two charm mesons

The $CP$ asymmetries of seven $B^-$ decays to two charm mesons are measured using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9\text{fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment. Decays involving a $D^{*0}$ or $D^{*-}_s$ meson are analysed by reconstructing only the $D^0$ or $D^-_s$ decay products. This paper presents the first measurement of $\mathcal{A}^{CP}(B^- \rightarrow D^{*-}_s D^0)$ and $\mathcal{A}^{CP}(B^- \rightarrow D^{-}_s D^{*0})$, and the most precise measurement of the other five $CP$ asymmetries. There is no evidence of $CP$ violation in any of the analysed decays. Additionally, two ratios between branching fractions of selected decays are measured.The CP asymmetries of seven B$^{−}$ decays to two charm mesons are measured using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb$^{−1}$ of proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment. Decays involving a D$^{*0}$ or ${D}_s^{\ast -}$ meson are analysed by reconstructing only the D$^{0}$ or ${D}_s^{-}$ decay products. This paper presents the first measurement of $\mathcal{A} ^{CP}$(B$^{−}$→${D}_s^{\ast -}$D$^{0}$) and $\mathcal{A} ^{CP}$(B$^{−}$→${D}_s^{-}$D$^{∗0}$), and the most precise measurement of the other five CP asymmetries. There is no evidence of CP violation in any of the analysed decays. Additionally, two ratios between branching fractions of selected decays are measured.[graphic not available: see fulltext]The $CP$ asymmetries of seven $B^-$ decays to two charm mesons are measured using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $9\text{ fb}^{-1}$ of proton-proton collisions collected by the LHCb experiment. Decays involving a $D^{*0}$ or $D^{*-}_s$ meson are analysed by reconstructing only the $D^0$ or $D^-_s$ decay products. This paper presents the first measurement of $\mathcal{A}^{CP}(B^- \rightarrow D^{*-}_s D^0)$ and $\mathcal{A}^{CP}(B^- \rightarrow D^{-}_s D^{*0})$, and the most precise measurement of the other five $CP$ asymmetries. There is no evidence of $CP$ violation in any of the analysed decays. Additionally, two ratios between branching fractions of selected decays are measured

Helium identification with LHCb

The identification of helium nuclei at LHCb is achieved using a method based on measurements of ionisation losses in the silicon sensors and timing measurements in the Outer Tracker drift tubes. The background from photon conversions is reduced using the RICH detectors and an isolation requirement. The method is developed using pp collision data at √(s) = 13 TeV recorded by the LHCb experiment in the years 2016 to 2018, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.5 fb-1. A total of around 105 helium and antihelium candidates are identified with negligible background contamination. The helium identification efficiency is estimated to be approximately 50% with a corresponding background rejection rate of up to O(10^12). These results demonstrate the feasibility of a rich programme of measurements of QCD and astrophysics interest involving light nuclei

Momentum scale calibration of the LHCb spectrometer

For accurate determination of particle masses accurate knowledge of the momentum scale of the detectors is crucial. The procedure used to calibrate the momentum scale of the LHCb spectrometer is described and illustrated using the performance obtained with an integrated luminosity of 1.6 fb-1 collected during 2016 in pp running. The procedure uses large samples of J/ψ → μ + μ - and B+ → J/ψ K + decays and leads to a relative accuracy of 3 × 10-4 on the momentum scale