Symposium on Marine Diversity and Biogeography in the Tropics. Pacific Science Congress, May-June 1991, Honolulu

Seven persons were asked to discuss the diversity and biogeography of various groups of marine organisms from as wide a geographic span as possible in the warm Pacific. The organisms covered were marine algae, marine mollusks, and fishes; unfortunately, J. E. N. Veron of Australia, who was expected to speak on corals, was unable to attend. We present here three abstracts and three full-length papers. No symposium on marine diversity has ever been presented to the Congress, although each member country in the Congress is impacted by one or more oceans or seas. Of the major groups of marine organisms, probably the least studied (and least understood) are the marine algae. The three papers are on algae and show different perspectives although the subject matter is systematics and ecology. In "Geographic patterns of diversity in benthic marine algae," Paul Silva defines diversity and shows that although land plant diversity is greater in the tropics, marine algae show more diversity in the warm-temperate boundaries. In "Marine phytogeography of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago: A new assessment," Bernabe Santelices shows that the relatively high diversity with 32% endemism found in the Juan Fernandez Islands is largely due to the physical barrier of the cold northward-flowing Peru or Humboldt Current. Celia Smith in "Diversity in intertidal habitats: An assessment of the marine algae of select high islands in the Hawaiian Archipelago" revealed many data that furnished the bases for far-reaching comparisons: age-related basalt substrates and limestone benches on an island about 35,000 yr old yielded a flora with greater diversity than similar transects on a younger basalt island, contributing to the conclusion that similar diversity patterns appear to depend on substrate similarity as well as current patterns around islands. The three abstracts cover algae from French Polynesia, fishes, and marine mollusks. The papers that stem from these abstracts have been or are being published elsewhere

Marine Algae of the Northwest Hawaiian Islands

Reexamination of some previous collections of marine algae from the Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), also known as the Leeward Hawaiian Islands, and the addition of more recent collections have resulted in recognition of 48 taxa of Chlorophyta (green algae), with eight new records for the NWHI; 33 taxa of Phaeophyta (brown algae), with seven new records; and 124 species of Rhodophyta (red algae), of which 26 are new records for the NWHI. Among the 41 new records, 14 taxa are newly reported for the entire Hawaiian archipelago. Among the new records are Nemacystus decipiens, Halimeda copiosa, and H. velasquezii and among the microscopic algae Crouania mageshimensis. Total macroscopic marine flora consists of 205 taxa, a number close to the 222 species known from Eniwetak in the northern Marshall Islands. Proportions of greens and reds in the two places are markedly different, however, with more green and fewer red species in Eniwetak

Studies in the Helminthocladiaceae, III Liagoropsis

In the first paper in this series of studies of the Helminthocladiaceae (Dory and Abbott, 1961 ), we have shown that, in two species of Helminthocladia from Hawaii, the female reproductive structures are generally similar to those described by other workers for other species in the genus, and that vegetative structures such as internal cortical rhizoids may be used to distinguish at least the Hawaiian species. In the second paper of this series (Abbott and Dory, 1960) a new genus, Trichogloeopsis, was described as containing three species, one new and two transfers from the genus Liagora. They share a major character in common, that of sterile rhizoidal extensions of the gonimoblast, but again the three species may be distinguished from each other by their vegetative structures

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Breast cancer management pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the UK ‘Alert Level 4’ phase of the B-MaP-C study

Abstract: Background: The B-MaP-C study aimed to determine alterations to breast cancer (BC) management during the peak transmission period of the UK COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of these treatment decisions. Methods: This was a national cohort study of patients with early BC undergoing multidisciplinary team (MDT)-guided treatment recommendations during the pandemic, designated ‘standard’ or ‘COVID-altered’, in the preoperative, operative and post-operative setting. Findings: Of 3776 patients (from 64 UK units) in the study, 2246 (59%) had ‘COVID-altered’ management. ‘Bridging’ endocrine therapy was used (n = 951) where theatre capacity was reduced. There was increasing access to COVID-19 low-risk theatres during the study period (59%). In line with national guidance, immediate breast reconstruction was avoided (n = 299). Where adjuvant chemotherapy was omitted (n = 81), the median benefit was only 3% (IQR 2–9%) using ‘NHS Predict’. There was the rapid adoption of new evidence-based hypofractionated radiotherapy (n = 781, from 46 units). Only 14 patients (1%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during their treatment journey. Conclusions: The majority of ‘COVID-altered’ management decisions were largely in line with pre-COVID evidence-based guidelines, implying that breast cancer survival outcomes are unlikely to be negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, in this study, the potential impact of delays to BC presentation or diagnosis remains unknown

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

New Species and Notes on Marine Algae from Hawai'i

Five new species are described: one in the brown algal genus Padina and four in the red algal genera Hypoglossum, Spirocladia, Micropeuce, and Laurencia. Padina melemele Abbott & Magruder differs from known Padina species because of extremely strong calcification on the ventral surface and a bright yellow color on the dorsal surface. Hypoglossum wynnei Abbott differs from other species of Hypoglossum in Hawai'i in having divided, ribbonlike segments and small, discrete sporangial sori. Spirocladia hodgsoniae Abbott shows distinctive holdfasts where proliferation of cortical cells connects decumbentaxes and erect filaments. Micropeuce setosus Abbott is a minute species collected at 72 m depth, showing conspicuous bristlelike trichoblasts on each tetrasporangial segment. Laurencia mcdermidiae Abbott joins a number of species of Laurencia marked by their bright green color, ordinarily pink or red in other species. Dudresnaya littleri Abbott is proposed as a new name for D. lubrica Littler [non D. lubrica (Lyngbye) Trevisan], and taxonomic notes are given on Trichogloea species. Halymenia maculata J. Agardh, Predaea laciniosa Kraft, Cubiculosporum koronicarpis Kraft, and Kallymenia sessilis Okamura are given as new records

Peleophycus multiprocarpium gen. et sp. nov. (Gloiosiphoniaceae, Rhodophyta)

Peleophycus multiprocarpium is described as a genus and species new to the red algal family Gloiosiphoniaceae (Cryptonemiales), in which a given supporting cell may bear one or more carpogonial branches and one to several auxiliary cell branches. Though several gonimoblasts could thus be formed on the same supporting cell, this condition has not been observed. Nonetheless it suggests a possible phylogenetic pathway from less complicated to more complex relationships of reproductive branches. In its structure of reproductive organs, Peleophycus seems most closely related to Gloeophycus, described from Korea and northwestern Japan. Peleophycus is one of several new genera and species that occurred in an unexpected subtidal (ca. 10-12 m depth) spring marine flora in the subtropics off Hawaii