Developing human capital for successful implementation of international marine scientific research projects.

The oceans play a crucial role in the global environment and the sustainability of human populations, because of their involvement in climate regulation and provision of living and non-living resources to humans. Maintenance of healthy oceans in an era of increasing human pressure requires a high-level understanding of the processes occurring in the marine environment and the impacts of anthropogenic activities. Effective protection and sustainable resource management must be based, in part, on knowledge derived from successful research. Current marine research activities are being limited by a need for high-quality researchers capable of addressing critical issues in broad multidisciplinary research activities. This is particularly true for developing countries which will require the building of capacity for marine scientific research. This paper reviews the current activities aimed at increasing marine research capacity in developing and emerging countries and analyses the challenges faced, including: appropriate alignment of the research goals and societal and policy-relevant needs; training in multidisciplinary research; increasing capacity for overall synthesis of scientific data; building the capacity of technical staff; keeping highly qualified personnel in marine scientific research roles; cross-cultural issues in training; minimising duplication in training activities; improving linkages among human capital, project resources and infrastructure. Potential solutions to these challenges are provided, along with some priorities for action aimed at improving the overall research effort.

Alkalinisation of local anaesthetics prescribed for pain relief after surgical decompression of carpal tunnel syndrome.

PURPOSE: To compare the duration of analgesia achieved following administration of buffered prilocaine versus plain prilocaine to patients undergoing surgical decompression of the median nerve. METHODS: 40 (32 female and 8 male; mean age, 50.5 years) patients who underwent surgical decompression of carpal tunnel syndrome were recruited. Patients were randomly allocated to 2 groups: the alkalinised group was given 10 ml of prilocaine hydrochloride 2% buffered with 1 ml of sodium bicarbonate 8.4%, whereas the non-alkalinised group received 10 ml of plain prilocaine hydrochloride 2% solution. Patients were asked to rate their comfort level at the operation site in the first 6 hours following surgery and after discharge from hospital using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The duration of analgesic effect was evaluated every 3 hours. Additional oral analgesia in the form of paracetamol 500 mg tablets was available to patients if required for break-through pain. RESULTS: Significantly lower VAS scores were reported by the alkalinised group during the first postoperative 12 hours. The change of VAS scores over time was significantly higher in the non-alkalinised group. The mean analgesic requirement for paracetamol tablets in the alkalinised and non-alkalinised groups was 4 and 34, respectively. CONCLUSION: Buffered prilocaine provided a longer postoperative pain-free period for patients undergoing surgical decompression of the median nerve. It is easy, safe, and cost-effective.

Aggressive hydatid disease of the foot and ankle.

An extremely rare case of aggressive hydatid disease of bone is described in a 29-year-old male. Although the disease was limited to the talus at initial presentation, it spread through the entire foot and ankle after surgical treatment. The unusual aggressive nature of the recurrence was attributed to the spread of infestation during the first surgery. Amputation of the foot and ankle was performed due to the invasive nature of the bone and soft tissue involvement.