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Economic effects of non-pharmacological interventions in low back pain
No full textLow back pain (LBP) is a global health issue with enormous socioeconomic impact. It ranks first in terms of disability and is the leading cause of years lived with disability (YLDs) worldwide. The aim of this analysis is to present an overview of non-pharmacological methods for treating low back pain and to assess their potential to prevent or reduce the need for pharmacological and surgical treatment. This 10-year literature review confirms that several non-pharmacological interventions, particularly psychosocial and exercise-based approaches, are cost-effective alternatives for the treatment of low back pain. Continued research on innovative treatment delivery methods, combined with improved methodology, is essential for obtaining information on economic costs, informing health policies, and optimizing care for patients with LBP
Cassida piperata Hope, 1843 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), a non-native beetle, new to Italy and Europe
No full textMaintaining sustained vigilance over the introduction and spread of non-native species is of critical importance.Cassida piperata, a leaf beetle native to the East Palaearctic and Indomalayan Regions, has been repeatedly recorded in northern Italy since 2021, where it appears to be established as a non-native species new to Europe. Its local occurrence is discussed, based on records obtained by the authors and from citizen-science web platforms and its potential for further spread in Europe is evaluated through bioclimatic modelling
Microbiome and response to immunotherapy in malignant melanoma
No full textImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved survival in advanced melanoma; however, a considerable number of patients does not respond, and side effects are common. Studies suggest that the gut microbiome may influence ICI outcomes, with certain bacteria and microbial functions being linked to a positive response in some patient groups. However, findings are inconsistent across studies, and no universal microbial biomarkers have been identified. Longitudinal and multi-omic analyses indicate that microbial dynamics may matter, and that other body sites, such as the skin and the intratumoral environment, could also be relevant. More systematic research and testing of multiple hypotheses is needed before microbiome-based strategies may be reliably applied in clinical practice. Here, we summarize evidence connecting the human microbiome to ICI response in melanoma
Mobile-based system for collecting data on tree health status in field protective forest belts in southern Dobrudzha, Bulgaria
No full textIn southern Dobrudzha, northeastern Bulgaria, a system of field protective forest belts (FPFBs) was es-tablished in the 1950s to reduce wind speed, prevent soil erosion, retain soil moisture, improve microcli-mate, and increase agricultural yields. Most FPFBs are located within the territories of the State Hunting Enterprise (SHE) Balchik and State Forest Enterprises (SFEs) General Toshevo and Dobrich. Since 2020, the health condition of the FPFBs has significantly declined. In this study, a mobile system based on ArcGIS Field Maps from ESRI, compatible with Android and iOS, was developed. It includes 31 specific fields for assessing the health status of trees in FPFBs, collecting data from fieldwork, and transferring it to electronic records. Between June and August 2024, the system was tested by evaluating the health status and damage of trees in 190 FPFBs across SHE Balchik, SFE General Toshevo, and SFE Dobrich. The advantage of our web-based data collection system is its ability to export data immediately to Excel and formats like CSV, KML, and GeoJSON. It also reduces field data entry time, improves data security, and allows for the inclusion of specific photos of tree damage
Two new species of terrestrial microsnails of the genus Hypselostoma W.H. Benson, 1856 (Gastropoda, Eupulmonata, Hypselostomatidae) from northeastern Thailand
No full textTwo new species of hypselostomatid land microsnails, Hypselostoma pongrati Tanmuangpak & S. Tumpeesuwan, sp. nov. from Nong Bua Lamphu Province and H. sichomphuense Tanmuangpak & S. Tumpeesuwan, sp. nov. from Khon Kaen Province, are described based on the morphology of their shell, radula, and genital system. Both new species are very similar in shell shape to H. phupaman from Chaiyaphum Province, possessing a double-keeled last whorl. However, H. pongrati Tanmuangpak & S. Tumpeesuwan, sp. nov. is distinguished by the absence of apertural barriers, whereas H. sichomphuense Tanmuangpak & S. Tumpeesuwan, sp. nov. possesses three apertural barriers, and H. phupaman possesses six or seven. The three species were found on isolated limestone hills in the Chaiyaphum-Khon Kaen-Nong Bua Lamphu-Loei area
Trophic ecology of the invasive marbled crayfish in ephemeral streams of semi-arid environments
No full textThe marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis) is an invasive, parthenogenetically reproducing species that has spread to freshwater ecosystems in over 24 countries across North America, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. To date, the trophic ecology of the marbled crayfish has only been studied in European lentic and lotic perennial ecosystems. This study aims to shed light on the trophic ecology of the marbled crayfish in ephemeral streams of semi-arid environments in the Middle East, using δ13C and δ15N stable isotope analysis. We also conducted a diet regime experiment to test the impact of herbivorous and omnivorous diets on crayfish survival. In agreement with studies elsewhere, our analysis confirmed that P. virginalis functions as a flexible omnivore, occupying an intermediate trophic level (trophic position: 2.3–2.9), with the highest values observed during summer. The diet regime experiment showed that juveniles can survive on various diets, with only small differences in survival rates among the three diets that were tested. Surprisingly, the highest survival rate was observed when the crayfish were fed a poor plant-based diet. Adults and sub-adults also showed high survival rates under all tested diets, as well as some extent of cannibalism, which was amplified when fed purely plant-based diets. Cannibalism was primarily directed at small-sized juveniles (0-2 months old). In contrast, cannibalism among adults and sub-adults was very limited, even when reared at high densities
Periapical inflammation in the primary dentition and its impact on permanent teeth
No full textIntroduction: Untreated carious lesions in primary teeth can negatively affect a child's quality of life, but they can also cause long-term adverse effects on permanent teeth. Untreated carious lesions in primary teeth progress to inflammation of the dental pulp, which is followed by the development of apical periodontitis. Aim: The aim is to review and summarize the available evidence in the specialized literature on the relationship between periapical complications in primary teeth and their association with pathological changes in the developing tooth structures of permanent teeth, such as the formation of follicular cysts or defects in the enamel structure. Materials and methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was performed. An analysis was made of scientific publications that examine periapical inflammatory processes affecting mainly primary molars, as well as their potential for the development of follicular cysts. Results: It was found that periapical infection of primary teeth is associated with defects in the enamel (hypoplasia, hypomineralization), eruption abnormalities, dilacerations, ankylosis, delayed or impaired root development, and the development of inflammatory follicular cysts. Conclusion: Persistent inflammatory processes associated with periapical lesions have a negative effect on the follicular tissues of permanent teeth. This can lead to structural changes in these tissues, as well as to the formation of follicular cysts and eruption disorders.
Morphological and phylogenetic analyses reveal one new genus and six new species in Irpicaceae and Steccherinaceae (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) from the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, Asia
No full textPolyporales is a diverse group of Agaricomycetes that has received extensive attention and study. Species in Irpicaceae and Steccherinaceae (Polyporales) are important wood-decaying fungi that cause white rot on both angiosperm and gymnosperm wood. Recently, many studies have focused on the classification of Irpicaceae and Steccherinaceae, but the familial placements of some taxa remain unresolved. In the present study, phylogenies of species in the two families were reconstructed using multilocus DNA sequence data, including ITS, nLSU, mtSSU, tef1-α, and rpb2, as well as two combined datasets: ITS+nLSU+mtSSU+rpb2+tef1-α for Steccherinaceae and ITS+nLSU for Efibula and related species. Three new species of Efibula, one new species of Phanericium within the family Irpicaceae, and one new genus, Odentinium, including two new species, O. aurantium and O. cremeum, within the family Steccherinaceae, are described and illustrated. The genus Odentinium is characterized by resupinate basidiomata with an odontioid hymenial surface, a monomitic hyphal system with clamped generative hyphae, cylindrical cystidia that are strongly encrusted, and ellipsoid, smooth basidiospores. Furthermore, the evolutionary times of Polyporales, including Irpicaceae and Steccherinaceae, were inferred based on conserved regions of DNA sequences (ITS+nLSU+mtSSU+rpb2+tef1-α). Bayesian evolutionary analysis indicated that the ancestors of Irpicaceae and Steccherinaceae are estimated to have emerged with mean crown ages of 199.17 Mya and 142.95 Mya, respectively, followed by the genus Odentinium, with a mean crown age of 120.8 Mya
An (inter)national network to support the FishBase Consortium in parasitology, pathology, ichthyo(parasito)logical mainstreaming and capacity development
No full textFishBase, a global biodiversity information system on finfishes (www.fishbase.org), is a knowledge resource for the management and conservation of fishes. It is the largest and most frequently accessed online database on fishes. This multifunctional ecological tool, widely cited in scientific publications, reached the top 1% of all cited items published in the 21st and 20th centuries. Recently, it attracted >1200 citations/year in the peer-reviewed literature. FishBase receives ca. 80 million hits/month (2023) and up to 1 million visits from over 300 000 unique users monthly. The FishBase Consortium scientifically guides the development and functioning of FishBase and SeaLifeBase (www.sealifebase.org), a similar information platform for marine organisms other than fishes with a focus on policy-relevant species. FishBase is an intensively used resource in fish parasitology, rendering parasitologists among the users most frequently citing FishBase. Conversely, the FishBase tools that pertain to fish parasites and diseases are underdeveloped compared to other applications within the database. Hence, parasitologists mainly use FishBase to find information on fishes but not on parasites. They rarely contribute data themselves to FishBase, and new fish-related results in parasitological literature go largely unnoticed. This also relates to, and exacerbates, the limited extent to which biodiversity databases of hosts and their pathogens are, in general, interoperable. FishBase and comparable informatics resources for aquatic biodiversity, such as the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), and the Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment (FADA), mostly inaccurately reflect host-parasite relationships. The information they contain on aquatic parasites is far from complete. Fish parasites constitute risks because of their potential pathogenicity towards their hosts, while also providing important ecosystem services to their hosts and ecosystems, e.g., related to the development of immunity, the regulation of energy fluxes and populations, and the maintenance of species-richness. Parasites are especially abundant, diverse, and impactful in ecotones such as wetlands. Lack of accessible information on the parasites of fishes, therefore, is a limitation to the management and conservation of wetland fishes in situ and ex situ. The principal investigators of the Aquatic Biodiversity team at Hasselt University focus on fish parasitology, ichthyology, wetland monitoring, and the management of aquatic ecosystems. In collaboration with the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, an observer within the FishBase Consortium, they initiated and obtained funding for a network of national and international partners to support the FishBase Consortium in:updating information on host-parasite links underlying parasitological and pathological tools within FishBase, and expanding these tools for diagnostics;mainstreaming information on fish (parasites) in response to priorities proposed by stakeholders; anddeveloping (inter)national ichthyo(parasito)logical capacity through training and awareness raising.This project builds on the expertise of 22 Flemish and 48 international partners, encompassing stakeholders from universities, natural history institutions, other governmental research institutes, public aquariums, and the policy, non-profit and private sectors. Referring to empirical data on, e.g., the weatherfish Misgurnus fossilis, we hope to grasp this short introduction to our project as opportunity to hear from the audience how our approach can contribute to understand and conserve European wetland fishes