Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Description of Trichodorus marylandi n. sp. (Nematoda: Trichodoridae) from Maryland, USA

During nematode surveys in natural vegetation, a new species, described herein as Trichodorus marylandi n. sp., was identified in addition to Paratrichodorus species and Nanidorus minor from Maryland, USA, and three putative new Trichodorus species from California. Trichodorus marylandi n. sp. is about 1 mm long with a medium-sized onchiostyle 54 (47-59) mu m long. Males are characterised by a single ventromedian cervical papilla located anterior to the secretory-excretory pore, all three ventromedian precloacal supplements located anterior to the retracted spicules, and spicules 42 (38-44) mu m long showing a minor indentation at the level of the posterior border of the capsule of the protractor muscles. Females possess a short barrel-shaped vagina when the body is relaxed, and two sublateral body pores on each side, one up to four body diam. anterior to the vulva and one advulvar in position. A rare observation of a 'hood' ventrally attached to a moulting male juvenile was observed and illustrated. Trichodorus marylandi n. sp. is morphologically closest to T. obtusus. Based on recent information gained from molecular data for Trichodorus species that has revealed the occurrence of several cryptic species, T. proximus is temporarily accepted as a valid species until molecular data become available from topotype specimens. Phylogenetic relationships within trichodorids, as inferred from the analyses of the D2 D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA and ITS2 rRNA gene analysis and a statistical parsimony network showing the phylogenetic relationships between COI haplotypes of T. obtusus and T. marylandi n. sp., are also provided

First report of barley root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne naasi from turfgrass in Idaho, with multigene molecular characterization

Barley root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne naasi Franklin, 1965, is one of the most important pest nematodes infecting monocots (Franklin, 1965). Two-inch core soil samples collected from a golf course in Ada County, Idaho were submitted for identification in November of 2019. A high number of Meloidogyne sp. juveniles were recovered from both soil samples using sieving and decantation followed by the sugar centrifugal flotation method. They were examined by light microscopy, morphometric measurements, and multiple molecular markers, including the ribosomal 28S D2–D3 and intergenic spacer 2 (IGS-2) regions, mitochondrial markers cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and the interval from COII to 16S, and the protein-coding gene Hsp90. Morphometrics as well as BlastN comparisons with other root-knot nematode sequences from GenBank were consistent with identification as M. naasi. Phylogenetic trees inferred from 28S, IGS-2, COI, or Hsp90 alignments each separated the Idaho population into a strongly supported clade with other populations of M. naasi, while the COII-16S interval could not resolve M. naasi from M. minor. This report represents the first morphological and molecular characterization of Meloidogyne naasi from turfgrass in Idaho

Measurement and weight of 50 poor developing beech buds collected in early spring of 2023.

Measurement and weight of 50 poor developing beech buds collected in early spring of 2023.</p