Lack of long-term acclimation in Antarctic encrusting species suggests vulnerability to warming

Marine encrusting communities play vital roles in benthic ecosystems and have major economic implications with regards to biofouling. However, their ability to persist under projected warming scenarios remains poorly understood and is difficult to study under realistic conditions. Here, using heated settlement panel technologies, we show that after 18 months Antarctic encrusting communities do not acclimate to either +1 °C or +2 °C above ambient temperatures. There is significant up-regulation of the cellular stress response in warmed animals, their upper lethal temperatures decline with increasing ambient temperature and population genetic analyses show little evidence of differential survival of genotypes with treatment. By contrast, biofilm bacterial communities show no significant differences in community structure with temperature. Thus, metazoan and bacterial responses differ dramatically, suggesting that ecosystem responses to future climate change are likely to be far more complex than previously anticipated

Randomized clinical trial comparing multiple stab incision phlebectomy and transilluminated powered phlebectomy for varicose veins

Copyright © 2006 British Journal of Surgery Society Ltd. Published by John Wiley & Sons, LtdBackgroundThe aim was to compare early postoperative subjective outcome measures in a randomized trial of multiple stab incision phlebectomy (MSIP) and transilluminated powered phlebectomy (TIPP) for the treatment of varicose veins.MethodsPatients having surgery for varicose veins were randomized to receive either MSIP or TIPP for local avulsion of varicose veins. Operating time, number of incisions and postoperative outcome were analysed in both groups. Quality of life (QoL) was analysed before and 1 and 6 weeks after surgery using domain-specific (Burford pain scale), disease-specific (Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire) and generic (Short Form 36 and EuroQol 5D) instruments.ResultsSixty-six patients consented to participate in the trial but four withdrew before surgery, so 33 patients underwent MSIP and 29 patients had TIPP. All patients had symptomatic or complicated varicose veins. There was no significant difference between groups in the total duration of surgery or the time taken for the avulsions. The number of incisions was significantly lower with TIPP. However, skin bruising at 1 and 6 weeks, and Burford pain score at 6 weeks were significantly higher in the TIPP group (P ConclusionTIPP had the advantage of fewer surgical incisions, but was associated with more extensive bruising, prolonged pain and reduced early postoperative QoL.I.C. Chetter, K.J. Mylankal, H. Hughes and R. Fitridg

Long-term outcomes following endovascular and surgical revascularization for peripheral artery disease: a propensity score-matched analysis

Online publish-ahead-of-print 24 February 2021Aims: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) revascularization can be performed by either endovascular or open surgical approach. Despite increasing use of endovascular revascularization, it is still uncertain which strategy yields better long-term outcomes. Methods and results: This retrospective cohort study evaluated patients hospitalized with PAD in Australia and New Zealand who underwent either endovascular or surgical revascularization between 2008 and 2015, and compared procedures using a propensity score-matched analysis. Hybrid interventions were excluded. The primary endpoint was mortality or major adverse limb events (MALE), defined as a composite endpoint of acute limb ischaemia, urgent surgical or endovascular reintervention, or major amputation, up to 8 years post-hospitalization using time-to-event analyses 75 189 patients fulfilled eligibility (15 239 surgery and 59 950 endovascular), from whom 14 339 matched pairs (mean ± SD age 71 ± 12 years, 73% male) with good covariate balance were identified. Endovascular revascularization was associated with an increase in combined MALE or mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.13, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09–1.17, P < 0.001]. There was a similar risk of MALE (HR 1.04, 95% CI: 0.99–1.10, P = 0.15), and all-cause urgent rehospitalizations (HR 1.01, 95% CI: 0.98–1.04, P = 0.57), but higher mortality (HR 1.16, 95% CI: 1.11–1.21, P < 0.001) when endovascular repair was compared to surgery. In subgroup analysis, these findings were consistent for both claudication and chronic limb-threatening ischaemia presentations. Conclusion: Although the long-term risk of MALE was comparable for both approaches, enduring advantages of surgical revascularization included lower long-term mortality. This is at odds with some prior PAD studies and highlights contention in this space.Saman L. Parvar, Linh Ngo, Joseph Dawson, Stephen J. Nicholls, Robert Fitridge, Peter J. Psaltis, and Isuru Ranasingh

Prevention of biofouling on aquaculture nets with eco‐friendly antifouling paint formulation

Aquaculture, which is an important part of food supply, is usually carried out in cage nets made of textile materials. Fouling organisms settle on the cage nets over time, close the mesh openings, and cause unwanted weight gain. In order to prevent fouling, aquaculture nets are generally treated with antifouling paints. In this paper, warp knitted cage nets made from various raw materials were treated with three different antifouling paints. Econea was used as a biocide to prepare an eco-friendly antifouling paint formulation, and two copper-based commercial antifouling paints were supplied for comparison. Antifouling paint-treated and untreated net samples were immersed in a marine ecosystem next to an aquaculture zone for 6 months. Settlement of fouling organisms on nets was observed by taking underwater photographs at periodic intervals. Following the field study, changes in the structure of the nets and antifouling performance of the paints were evaluated considering the results of underwater photographs, biomass growth, variation in mass and strength tests. Colour fastness of the antifouling paints to sea water was also measured to learn about biocide release and surface hydrophobicity. The results show that copper-free eco-friendly antifouling paint is just as effective against the fouling mechanism for all types of nets as copper-based commercial antifouling paints. The novel eco-friendly formulation has promising results, which provides an alternative for producers when considering the selection of raw materials

Editor's Choice – European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) 2023 Clinical Practice Guidelines on Antithrombotic Therapy for Vascular Diseases

The European Society for Vascular Surgery (ESVS) has developed a series of clinical practice guidelines for clinicians caring for patients with vascular diseases. This is the first guideline specifically examining antithrombotic therapy. The aim of the guideline is to assist clinicians and patients in selecting an optimal antithrombotic strategy.</p