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Entrepreneurial universities are a significant element of entrepreneurial ecosystems and aspire to foster entrepreneurial initiative through their "third mission". However, while entrepreneurial ecosystems are scrutinized using a contextual approach to detect differences and similarities and how they affect entrepreneurship, little is known about how entrepreneurial universities impact entrepreneurial initiatives in general, considering multiple environments. Drawing on entrepreneurial university and entrepreneurial ecosystem theories, a conceptual framework is proposed that aims to explain the effect of the entrepreneurial university on an entrepreneurial initiative through its three "missions", using an entrepreneurial ecosystem taxonomy. Based on individual data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, this entrepreneurial initiative analyzed 18 European countries in 2017. The results do not generally support the importance of entrepreneurial universities to entrepreneurial initiative. The relevance of entrepreneurial universities increases in more fragile entrepreneurial ecosystems since individuals need support over multiple dimensions. Conversely, the entrepreneurial universities that are embedded in stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems lose relevance and negatively affect the entrepreneurial initiative. Therefore, the value of entrepreneurial universities is reduced when individuals receive greater support from other dimensions. The variations across both groups suggest that the concept of entrepreneurial universities is not a contemporaneous phenomenon; however, their effect is progressively revealed by the maturity of each university's mission. This perspective substantially changes the understanding of entrepreneurial universities as a thwartwise strategy, suggesting that the universities' impact is expanded as their missions gradually evolve. Overall, the study contributes to an understanding of the implications for universities that blindly follow entrepreneurship, neglecting the exogenous environment, namely, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and individual drive.

This study examines how the rise in the share of higher education graduates leads to over-qualification, by focusing on the demand-side drivers. We propose that the benefits of investments in higher education depend on the levels of innovation and economic growth in each national economy. We use a configurational method (Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis) to identify combinations of factors that lead to a high incidence of over-qualification in 17 European countries. The results show that over-qualification is greater in countries in which an increase in the number of graduates is accompanied by a failure to transition to a knowledge-based economy and poor economic growth. Furthermore, a low weight of high-tech manufacturing sectors in the GDP is a necessary condition for over-qualification to occur. These arguments explain the more pronounced mismatch in Southern Europe and Austria compared to other European countries. As for policy implications, this study shows that investment in education did not lead to expected benefits in some countries because this investment did not boost competitiveness in high-tech sectors. Thus, alternative policies must be implemented. Besides investment in education, some kind of industrial policy seems necessary in a number of European countries.

Purpose: This paper aims to test if team reflexivity is a countermeasure to the detrimental effect of team virtuality on team performance improvement, in decision-making teams. Design/methodology/approach: Study 1 regarded 210 individuals (N = 44 teams) executing five decision-making tasks. Study 2 regarded 60 individuals (N = 20 teams) executing four decision-making tasks. Study 1 was longitudinal, with no experimental manipulation. Study 2 had an experimental longitudinal design comprising two between-team manipulations: medium of communication and team reflexivity; the outcome was team performance improvement. Findings: Study 1's results show that team reflexivity positively moderates the effect of virtuality on team performance improvement over time. Study 2's results shows that a reflexivity manipulation benefits face-to-face teams more so than virtual teams, probably because team reflexivity is more effective when media richness is high. Originality/value: The implications of reflexivity's lack of effect in low virtuality (Study 1) and high virtuality (Study 2) teams are discussed. This study contributes to the team learning and virtual teams' literatures by expanding current knowledge on how team reflexivity can facilitate team learning under face-to-face versus virtual communication conditions.

The European Open Platform for Prescribing Education (EurOP2E) seeks to improve and harmonize European clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) education by facilitating international collaboration and sharing problem-based, online, open educational resources. The COVID-19 pandemic forced teachers to switch to virtual modalities, highlighting the need for high-quality online teaching materials. The goal of this study was to establish the online problem-based teaching resources needed to sustain prescribing education during the pandemic and thereafter. A nominal group technique study was conducted with prescribing teachers from 15 European countries. Results were analyzed through thematic analysis. In four meetings, 20 teachers from 15 countries proposed and ranked 35 teaching materials. According to the participants, the most necessary problem-based-online teaching materials related to three overarching themes. Related to learning outcomes for CPT, participants proposed creating prescription scenarios, including materials focusing on background knowledge and resources on personalized medicine and topical/ethical issues such as the prescription's impact on planetary health. Second, related to teaching, they proposed online case discussions, gamification and decision support systems. Finally, in relation to faculty development, they recommend teacher courses, a repository of reusable exam questions and harmonized formularies. Future work will aim to collaboratively produce such materials.

Europe witnessed a mass influx of refugees in the last few years, challenging its capability to deal with this humanitarian crisis and calling upon the efforts of all professionals who work with/for refugees, to intervene under a demanding situation. This paper presents the results of four focus groups implemented in Portugal with professionals who work with/for refugees and refugees themselves, developed within two European projects: Advenus and ReGap. The focus groups aimed at understanding the participants' perceptions about key knowledge, competences and practices to work towards refugees' social inclusion. Thematic analysis was applied and the results of the Advenus and ReGap focus groups combined, allowed to identify three main themes: i. Fit the context and meet the needs with a multidisciplinary, pragmatic, and flexible approach; ii. Will to make the change through activism and advocacy; and iii. Embrace diversity by developing empathy, cultural and gender sensitivity and sense of belonging. These main themes promote a reflection about the key knowledge, competences and practices of professionals who work with/for refugees.

Simple Summary: Bait-based fertility control could contribute to rodent pest management. Bait containing 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) and triptolide (TP), registered as ContraPest®, was delivered to male common voles to assess the effects on reproductive structures and residues in the liver and testes. There were no effects or inconclusive effects for most reproductive parameters considered. However, there was an increase in sperm defects in voles treated for 14/28 days and fewer normal sperm cells in voles treated for 28 days. There were no TP residues in the testes, few and low TP residues and no VCD residues in the liver tissue. Treatments with VCD + TP seemed to have minor effects on male reproductive organs. Some rodent species cause significant damage to agriculture and forestry, and some can transmit pathogens to humans and livestock. The common vole (Microtus arvalis) is widespread in Europe, and its population outbreaks have resulted in massive crop loss. Bait-based fertility control could contribute to rodent pest management. Bait containing 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) and triptolide (TP), registered as ContraPest®, was delivered to male common voles for 14 or 28 consecutive days. The effects on reproductive structures and residues in the liver and testes were assessed. There was no effect on testis weight, sperm viability, sperm motility and oxidative stress in sperm cells. Results regarding the mitochondrial membrane potential of sperm, DNA fragmentation and progressively motile sperm cells were inconclusive. However, there was an increase in morphological sperm defects in voles treated for 14/28 days and fewer normal sperm cells in voles treated for 28 days. There were no TP residues in the testes, few and low TP residues and no VCD residues in liver tissues, making considerable secondary exposure to non-target species unlikely. Treatments with VCD + TP seemed to have minor effects on the reproductive organs of males. Further studies should evaluate the effect of VCD + TP on females and on the reproductive success of common voles and other pest rodent species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversified crop rotations have been suggested to reduce grain yield losses from the adverse climatic conditions increasingly common under climate change. Nevertheless, the potential for climate change adaptation of different crop rotational diversity (CRD) remains undetermined. We quantified how climatic conditions affect small grain and maize yields under different CRDs in 32 long‐term (10–63 years) field experiments across Europe and North America. Species‐diverse and functionally rich rotations more than compensated yield losses from anomalous warm conditions, long and warm dry spells, as well as from anomalous wet (for small grains) or dry (for maize) conditions. Adding a single functional group or crop species to monocultures counteracted yield losses from substantial changes in climatic conditions. The benefits of a further increase in CRD are comparable with those of improved climatic conditions. For instance, the maize yield benefits of adding three crop species to monocultures under detrimental climatic conditions exceeded the average yield of monocultures by up to 553 kg/ha under non‐detrimental climatic conditions. Increased crop functional richness improved yields under high temperature, irrespective of precipitation. Conversely, yield benefits peaked at between two and four crop species in the rotation, depending on climatic conditions and crop, and declined at higher species diversity. Thus, crop species diversity could be adjusted to maximize yield benefits. Diversifying rotations with functionally distinct crops is an adaptation of cropping systems to global warming and changes in precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Evaluate the performance of a deep learning (DL)–based model for multiple sclerosis (MS) lesion segmentation and compare it to other DL and non-DL algorithms. Methods: This ambispective, multicenter study assessed the performance of a DL-based model for MS lesion segmentation and compared it to alternative DL- and non-DL-based methods. Models were tested on internal (n = 20) and external (n = 18) datasets from Latin America, and on an external dataset from Europe (n = 49). We also examined robustness by rescanning six patients (n = 6) from our MS clinical cohort. Moreover, we studied inter-human annotator agreement and discussed our findings in light of these results. Performance and robustness were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Dice coefficient (DC), and coefficient of variation (CV). Results: Inter-human ICC ranged from 0.89 to 0.95, while spatial agreement among annotators showed a median DC of 0.63. Using expert manual segmentations as ground truth, our DL model achieved a median DC of 0.73 on the internal, 0.66 on the external, and 0.70 on the challenge datasets. The performance of our DL model exceeded that of the alternative algorithms on all datasets. In the robustness experiment, our DL model also achieved higher DC (ranging from 0.82 to 0.90) and lower CV (ranging from 0.7 to 7.9%) when compared to the alternative methods. Conclusion: Our DL-based model outperformed alternative methods for brain MS lesion segmentation. The model also proved to generalize well on unseen data and has a robust performance and low processing times both on real-world and challenge-based data. Clinical relevance statement: Our DL-based model demonstrated superior performance in accurately segmenting brain MS lesions compared to alternative methods, indicating its potential for clinical application with improved accuracy, robustness, and efficiency. Key Points: • Automated lesion load quantification in MS patients is valuable; however, more accurate methods are still necessary. • A novel deep learning model outperformed alternative MS lesion segmentation methods on multisite datasets. • Deep learning models are particularly suitable for MS lesion segmentation in clinical scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational prescribing is essential for the quality of health care. However, many final‐year medical students and junior doctors lack prescribing competence to perform this task. The availability of a list of medicines that a junior doctor working in Europe should be able to independently prescribe safely and effectively without supervision could support and harmonize teaching and training in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics (CPT) in Europe. Therefore, our aim was to achieve consensus on such a list of medicines that are widely accessible in Europe. For this, we used a modified Delphi study method consisting of three parts. In part one, we created an initial list based on a literature search. In part two, a group of 64 coordinators in CPT education, selected via the Network of Teachers in Pharmacotherapy of the European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, evaluated the accessibility of each medicine in his or her country, and provided a diverse group of experts willing to participate in the Delphi part. In part three, 463 experts from 24 European countries were invited to participate in a 2‐round Delphi study. In total, 187 experts (40%) from 24 countries completed both rounds and evaluated 416 medicines, 98 of which were included in the final list. The top three Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical code groups were (1) cardiovascular system (n = 23), (2) anti‐infective (n = 21), and (3) musculoskeletal system (n = 11). This European List of Key Medicines for Medical Education could be a starting point for country‐specific lists and could be used for the training and assessment of CPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes are a major cause of damage and human losses to the built environment, including cultural heritages, monumental buildings and historical centers. In the last decades, the seismic performance of buildings has received special attention due to the interest in the built heritage conservation and protection of human life, particularly with respect to masonry structures which have shown evidence of poor behavior once subjected to seismic loads. The present work contributes to the seismic safety assessment of the out-of-plane behavior of unreinforced masonry walls through a displacement-based approach, providing the capacity for different out-of-plane geometric indexes and its seismic response in different earthquake-prone regions. The analyses are conducted using a seismic probabilistic framework, considering the most common out-of-plane mechanisms, different material properties, various slenderness ratios, and a wide range of seismicity levels to cover the seismic hazard in Europe. The results presented can be useful for seismic safety assessment and to incorporate vulnerability models for seismic risk analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major depressive disorder is a complex heterogeneous disorder. Treatment is especially challenging for patients with "difficult-to-treat depression" (DTD): a less stigmatizing and more clinically relevant framework defining depression that continues to cause significant burden despite usual treatment efforts. RESTORE-LIFE is a prospective, observational, multicenter, post-market study being conducted in Europe and is designed to reflect real-world clinical application of adjunctive Vagus Nerve Stimulation Therapy (VNS) for DTD. Baseline characteristics of RESTORE-LIFE patients were analyzed and compared to published treatment-resistant depression (TRD) trials. This analysis includes the initial 98 RESTORE-LIFE patients who commenced treatment with VNS. Patients had a mean of 11.4 failed anti-depressant treatments, 1.1 suicide attempts, 87 % had prior electroconvulsive therapy, and 36 % had an endocrine/metabolic comorbidity. On average, disease severity was comparable to that in TRD trials (n = 15,463). However, RESTORE-LIFE patients appear to have been experiencing DTD for a longer duration and their DTD was characterized by a lack of positive mental health and meaningfulness of life, to a greater degree than by excess of negative mood. Despite high comorbidity rates in RESTORE-LIFE, VNS implantation was performed safely with no discontinuations due to surgical adverse events. RESTORE-LIFE enrolls any patient receiving adjunctive VNS for DTD. Prescription of VNS may be biased by differences in practices amongst sites and countries. The present analysis offers insight into contemporary real-world use of VNS Therapy for DTD in Europe representing a comprehensive characterization of DTD and how this population may differ from those in the TRD literature. • Baseline profile of initial 98 patients in RESTORE-LIFE compared with a review of 15,463 patients from 115 published TRD trials. • RESTORE-LIFE patients have comparable disease severity but potentially longer disease duration than TRD trials' average. • RESTORE-LIFE patients had a mean of 11.4 prior failed antidepressants and 1.1 suicide attempts; and 87 % received prior electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). • Psychiatric, metabolic, and cardiovascular comorbidities were frequent in RESTORE-LIFE patients. • VNS implants were performed safely in RESTORE-LIFE patients with no discontinuations due to surgical adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Europe and the USA, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW), has raised concerns and prompted the exploration of doxycycline prophylaxis as a potential intervention. Doxycycline prophylaxis can be administered either as a daily 100 mg dose (DoxyPrEP) or a single 200 mg dose post-sexual activity (DoxyPEP). Recent clinical trials, primarily focusing on higher-risk groups, have shown reductions of approximately 70% in syphilis and chlamydia infections and conflicting results regarding gonorrhea infection (up to 50%). Despite these advancements, the effectiveness of doxycycline prophylaxis among women has not been established and this strategy raises concerns about community acceptability, adverse events, safety, antimicrobial resistance, microbiome disruption, and cost-effectiveness. Ongoing clinical trials and agent-based models aim to address these uncertainties to predict the impact on a population level and on specific groups. This review aims to assess the existing data of doxycycline STI prophylaxis, identify knowledge gaps, and synthesize existing literature and guidelines about the current recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Recently, the study of amphibian behavioral ecology has received increased interest from ethologists and evolutionary biologists. In fact, plethodontid salamanders (family Plethodontidae) are often used as model organisms to better understand different aspects of behavioral adaptation. We reviewed the recent scientific literature published on the behavioral ecology of European cave salamanders belonging to the genus Speleomantes, to highlight recent advancements and possible future directions for successful research. We found that, in recent years, several aspects of Speleomantes behavior were investigated, such as trophic strategies and parental care, while others were neglected, in particular, chemical communication at the intraspecfic level. Finally, we propose European cave salamanders as useful models to understand the gradual adaptation of behaviors that facilitate the permanent colonization of subterranean habitats. There is a recent growing interest in the study of evolutionary and behavioral ecology of amphibians. Among salamanders, Plethodontidae is the most speciose family, with more than 500 species, while in Europe, there are only 8 species, all belonging to the genus Speleomantes. European plethodontids recently received increasing attention with regard to the study of their natural history, ecology and behavior; however, the lack of standardized data, especially for the latter, hampers comparative analysis with the species from the New World. We here synthetized the recent advances in Speleomantes behavioral ecology, considering as a starting point the comprehensive monography of Lanza and colleagues published in 2006. We identified the behavioral categories that were investigated the most, but we also highlighted knowledge gaps and provided directions for future studies. By reviewing the scientific literature published within the period 2006–2022, we observed a significant increase in the number of published articles on Speleomantes behavior, overall obtaining 36 articles. Behavioral studies on Speleomantes focused mainly on trophic behavior (42%), and on intraspecific behavior (33%), while studies on pheromonal communication and interspecific behavioral interactions were lacking. In addition, most of the studies were observational (83%), while the experimental method was rarely used. After providing a synthesis of the current knowledge, we suggest some relevant topics that need to be considered in future research on the behavioral ecology of European plethodontids, highlighting the importance of a more integrative approach in which both field observations and planned experiments are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal welfare protection is a challenge for which policy-makers are demanding scientific-based evidence. Considering horses, the challenge is even greater, as their role in society varies from production to companion animals. This review aimed to describe the evolution and geographical distribution of horse welfare literature over the years, to identify the most studied research topics and to highlight the still present gaps in knowledge. A search on Scopus® bibliometric database was performed using different welfare-related keywords. Predetermined filters were posed on time range, language and subject area. A total of 6584 records were downloaded and screened retaining only the ones dealing with horse welfare and behavioural sciences. Descriptive statistics, text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) were performed on the abstract of 801 eligible records. The results showed the number of studies on horse welfare is exponentially increasing, especially in the European continent. 'Transport' was the most frequent word, but also 'behaviour' and 'pain' emerged. Nine topics were identified and covered different subject areas: stress analysis, pain assessment, equitation science, human–horse interactions, breeding management, transport, working equids and health. The evaluation of stress and pain, horse social behaviour and the human–horse relationship resulted to be the most studied aspects related to animal welfare. On the contrary, the concept of positive welfare and the welfare assessment at slaughter of horses were underrepresented, confirming the limited literature on these subjects. This review confirmed the growing impact of research on horse welfare and highlighted how some important areas still do not provide sufficient scientific evidence. Analysis of the literature related to horse welfare was performed using text analysis techniques to identify trends in words and research topics. Results showed that the literature on horse welfare has exponentially grown in the last 43 years, especially in Europe. The most studied topics were stress and pain, while studies on the welfare at slaughter and positive welfare indicators were scant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to (a liberal) democracy can have an impact on both the political attention and visibility of the needs of marginalized populations, as well as the design of health policies that can influence the distribution of population health. This paper investigates the effect of exposure to democracy, that is, the number of years spent in a democracy as measured by democracy indexes, on various measures of inequality in self-reported health across European countries. We use an instrumental variable strategy to leverage the potential endogeneity of a country's exposure to democracy, drawing on both bivariate (socioeconomic) and univariate health inequality measures. Our estimates provide evidence that an additional year in a democracy reduces both bivariate (income-related) health inequality and overall (univariate) health inequality. Our preferred specification suggests a two-point rank reduction in inequality with an additional year under a democracy. The effect is mainly driven by a reduction of "health poverty" alongside other effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Molecular cues linked to heartwood formation open new (complementary) perspectives to genetic breeding programs of Douglas-fir, a tree species largely cultivated in Europe for the natural durability and civil engineering properties of its wood. Data description: RNAs from a single genotype of Douglas-fir, extracted from three distinct wood zones (outer sapwood, inner sapwood and transition zone) at four vegetative seasons to generate an extensive RNA-seq dataset used to apprehend the in-wood dynamic and seasonality of heartwood formation in this hardwood model species. Previously published data collected on somatic embryos of the same genotype could be merged with the present dataset to upgrade grade the Douglas-fir reference transcriptome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managed bee species provide essential pollination services that contribute to food security worldwide. However, managed bees face a diverse array of threats and anticipating these, and potential opportunities to reduce risks, is essential for the sustainable management of pollination services. We conducted a horizon scanning exercise with 20 experts from across Europe to identify emerging threats and opportunities for managed bees in European agricultural systems. An initial 63 issues were identified, and this was shortlisted to 21 issues through the horizon scanning process. These ranged from local landscape-level management to geopolitical issues on a continental and global scale across seven broad themes—Pesticides & pollutants, Technology, Management practices, Predators & parasites, Environmental stressors, Crop modification, and Political & trade influences. While we conducted this horizon scan within a European context, the opportunities and threats identified will likely be relevant to other regions. A renewed research and policy focus, especially on the highest-ranking issues, is required to maximise the value of these opportunities and mitigate threats to maintain sustainable and healthy managed bee pollinators within agricultural systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumer choice and satisfaction are very important for the hotel industry. For guests, food has a big impact on satisfaction and so does breakfast. The objective of this work is to know what the pre ferences of guests in a hotel breakfast are and how this varies according to their characteristics. An online questionnaire was sent using social media to hotel gues ts (n=626). Most respondents live in Europe (62%) and they prefer fruit juices (37%) and pastries (37%) while non-European residents suggested fruits (58%) and dairy products (39%) as the main preferences. Respondents aged over 55 years old have also preferences for fruits and dairy products, whereas guests aged 18-34 prefer pastries. For families traveling with children, bread was preferred for breakfast. Moreover, guests between the ages of 18 and 34 prefer lactose -free foods; and vegans or vegetarians or guests between the ages of 35 and 54 prefer gluten-free foods; whereas those 35 or younger prefer sugar foods. Most women prefer lactose-free food and non-Europeans give more importance to low-carbohydrate food while Europeans prefer lactose-free food and vegetarians or vegans. Breakfast is a meal valued by guests. Knowing the preferences of the guests following the profile of each one will be an asset for hotel projects that can satisfy and retain their customers. As far as we are aware, this is the first assessment of travellers about their preferences in hotels breakfast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large proportion of the world's disease burden is attributable to mental illnesses. Although effective interventions are available, many patients still have limited access to evidence-based treatments. Aside from access, treatment gaps, including inappropriate medication selection and monitoring, are also routinely recognised. Mental health clinical pharmacists can help address these gaps and enable patients to receive optimised pharmaceutical care, particularly appropriate medication selection and monitoring. The European Society of Clinical Pharmacy (ESCP) Special Interest Group on Mental Health was established to improve standardised service provision in mental health settings across Europe. The Special Interest Group identified significant barriers (predominantly associated with reimbursement and position within the multidisciplinary team) to effective pharmaceutical care amongst those with mental illnesses. This commentary presents recommendations to address these gaps through improved mental health clinical pharmacy service provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises a spectrum of chronic immune-mediated diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract. Onset typically occurs in early adulthood. The incidence of this disease has increased worldwide. Its prevalence has increased in Colombia and occurs predominantly in women. Considering that this disease is not curable, the main objective of management is to achieve remission. Many women are affected by IBD during different stages of their lives, including their reproductive life, pregnancy, and menopause. Because of this, the way the disease is managed in women of reproductive age can affect the course of IBD. Treatment and health maintenance strategies are very relevant; for patients with a desire to conceive, remission of the disease is very important at the time of conception and throughout the pregnancy to ensure adequate outcomes for both mother and fetus. Also, remission is necessary at least 3 months prior to conception. It is well known that active disease during conception and pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes. In addition, active perianal disease is an indication of cesarean delivery, resulting in an increased risk of intestinal surgery and post-operative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A multicenter, double‐arm, central core lab, retrospective study was performed to compare the rectal dosimetry of patients implanted with two injectable, biodegradable perirectal spacers, in conventional fractionation (CF), as well as ultrahypofractionation (UH) treatment plans. Methods and materials: Fifty‐nine patients were enrolled into the study in five centers: two centers in Europe, which implanted a biodegradable balloon spacer in a total of 24 subjects and three centers in the US, which implanted the SpaceOAR in 35 subjects. Anonymized CTs (pre and post‐implantation) were reviewed by the central core lab. For VMAT CF plans rectal V50, V60, V70, and V80 were calculated. For UH plans, a corresponding rectal V22.6, V27.1, V31.37, and V36.25 were established representing 62.5%, 75%, 87.5%, and 100% of the 36.25 Gy prescribed dose. Results: For CF VMAT, a comparison between the balloon spacer and the SpaceOAR revealed a significant difference of 33.4% decrease in mean rectal V50 (71.9% vs. 38.5%, p < 0.001), 27.7% in mean rectal V60 (79.6% vs. 51.9%, p < 0.001), 17.1% difference in mean rectal V70 (84.1% vs. 67.0%, p = 0.001), and a significant difference of 3.0% (p = 0.019) in mean rectal V80 (87.2% vs. 84.2%). With UH analysis, the mean rectal dose reduction for the balloon spacer compared to the SpaceOAR was 79.2% and 53.3% for V27.1 (p < 0.001), 84.1% and 68.1% for V31.71 (p = 0.001), and 89.7% and 84.8% for V36.25 (p = 0.012), respectively. Conclusion: Rectal dosimetry is more favorable for treatment with the balloon spacer compared with SpaceOAR. Further research, particularly in the context of a prospective randomized clinical trial design, is needed to assess the acute and late toxicity experience as well as physician satisfaction with achieving symmetrical implantation, and ease of use in light of increasing clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Neural circuit alterations lay at the core of brain physiopathology, and yet are hard to unveil in living subjects. The Virtual Brain (TVB) modeling, by exploiting structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), yields mesoscopic parameters of connectivity and synaptic transmission. Methods: We used TVB to simulate brain networks, which are key for human brain function, in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, whose connectivity and synaptic parameters remain largely unknown; we then compared them to healthy controls, to reveal novel in vivo pathological hallmarks. Results: The pattern of simulated parameter differed between AD and FTD, shedding light on disease-specific alterations in brain networks. Individual subjects displayed subtle differences in network parameter patterns that significantly correlated with their individual neuropsychological, clinical, and pharmacological profiles. Discussion: These TVB simulations, by informing about a new personalized set of networks parameters, open new perspectives for understanding dementias mechanisms and design personalized therapeutic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: This paper aims to analyze how tourism can impact today's world, particularly as we live a decisive moment for the planet, deeply affected by war in Europe and all the implications resulting from this anomalous situation. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, the author presents five pillars of the differentiating impact that tourism can have in today's world, from the need to modernize an increasingly old world to the need to reduce inequalities. Findings: The author contends that the tourism industry has a significant and positive impact in the world by building secure bridges for a better future. This is because it is on the right side, opposing disharmony and bringing people closer together, and by leading economic growth, the base factor of all positive economic change. Originality/value: The article supports the view that tourism generates more equality at local and global levels and that while it may not in itself be the solution for our future, it will be much easier to look into a brighter future, whenever we include tourism in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health promotion and disease prevention programme registries (HPPRs), also called 'best practice portals', serve as entry points and practical repositories that provide decision-makers with easy access to (evidence-based) practices. However, there is limited knowledge of differences or overlaps of howe current national HPPRs in Europe function, the context and circumstances in which these HPPRs were developed, and the mechanisms utilised by each HPPR for the assessment, classification and quality improvement of the included practices. This study prepared an overview of different approaches in several national HPPRs and the EU Best Practice Portal (EU BPP) as well as identified commonalities and differences among the core characteristics of the HPPRs. Methods: We conducted a descriptive comparison – that focused on six European countries with existing or recently developed/implemented national HPPR and the EU BPP –to create a comparative overview. We used coding mechanisms to identify commonalities and differences; we performed data management, collection and building consensus during EuroHealthNet Thematic Working Group meetings. Results: All HPPRs offer a broad range of health promotion and disease-prevention practices and serve to support practitioners, policymakers and researchers in selecting practices. Almost all HPPRs have an assessment process in place or planned, requiring the application of assessment criteria that differ among the HPPRs. While all HPPRs collect and share recommendable practices, others have implemented further measures to improve the quality of the submitted practices. Different dissemination tools and strategies are employed to promote the use of the HPPRs, including social media, newsletters and publications as well as capacity building workshops for practice owners or technical options to connect citizens/patients with local practices. Conclusions: Collaboration between HPPRs (at national and EU level) is appreciated, especially regarding the use consistent terminology to avoid misinterpretation, facilitate cross-country comparison and enable discussions on the adaption of assessment criteria by national HPPRs. Greater efforts are needed to promote the actual implementation and transfer of practices at the national level to address public health challenges with proven and effective practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emerging threat of ciguatera poisoning (CP) in Europe has been associated with fish captured in the Canary Islands (Spain) and Selvagens Islands (Portugal). The first are heavily populated islands where numerous scientific studies have been carried out. Conversely, the Selvagens Islands as a nature reserve with low human pressure have been rarely surveyed in terms of the marine benthic microalgae, including the epiphytic ciguatera-causing dinoflagellate species. To investigate the harmful microalgal diversity of the Selvagens Islands, a scientific cruise to these remote islands took place in September, 2018. The Gambierdiscus species composition and distribution, and the associated epiphytic dinoflagellate community, were assessed using artificial substrate devices. Gambierdiscus cells were found in all samples, reaching concentrations of up to 725 cells 100 cm–2. G. australes was the only species identified after morphological and molecular analysis of the retrieved cultures. Species identification was confirmed by molecular characterization based on the LSU D8–D10 region. Nevertheless, phylogenetic studies indicated that some strains diverged from the G. australes clade suggesting genetic differentiation. Toxicity was estimated by neuro-2a cell-based assay in four strains, ranging from 2.46–83 fg of CTX1B eq. cell–1. The epiphytic dinoflagellate community that co-occurred with Gambierdiscus comprised other toxic or potentially toxic dinoflagellates, such as Ostreopsis, Prorocentrum, Amphidinium and Coolia species. Oceanographic and meteorological data were also obtained to characterize the occurrence of Gambierdiscus. This study is the first stage in understanding the role of the Selvagens Islands in the incubation and proliferation of the ciguatera-causing dinoflagellates Gambierdiscus in the NE Atlantic. The Selvagens Islands are a ciguatera hotspot in Europe. Gambierdiscus australes was the only species observed in the Selvagens Islands. Strains diverging from the G. australes clade suggest genetic differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the content of 61 video capsules, presenting stories about unhealthy relationships invented, performed and filmed by 534 adolescents, from Spain, Portugal, Romania and Italy. The purpose is to analyse, through a thematic analysis of the video capsules, youth perspectives on what factors, myths and beliefs turn healthy relationships into unhealthy relationships, and what positive assets are managed to solve them. The results show common youth's perspectives on the idealization of romantic love, based on gender stereotypes, identified as a common characteristic of unhealthy relationships. Individuality is misinterpreted as a threat to the stability of dating relationships. Positive assets used by victims to face dating violence (DV) are assertiveness, communication abilities and management of emotions, whereas offenders used assertiveness, empathy and critical thinking. The paper debates the efficacy of intervention programs combining youth positive development and DV prevention approaches based on filmmaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beekeepers have various options to control the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in honey bee colonies, but no empirical data are available on the methods they apply in practice. We surveyed 28,409 beekeepers maintaining 507,641 colonies in 30 European countries concerning Varroa control methods. The set of 19 different Varroa diagnosis and control measures was taken from the annual COLOSS questionnaire on honey bee colony losses. The most frequent activities were monitoring of Varroa infestations, drone brood removal, various oxalic acid applications and formic acid applications. Correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering on principal components showed that six Varroa control options (not necessarily the most used ones) significantly contribute to defining three distinctive clusters of countries in terms of Varroa control in Europe. Cluster I (eight Western European countries) is characterized by use of amitraz strips. Cluster II comprises 15 countries from Scandinavia, the Baltics, and Central-Southern Europe. This cluster is characterized by long-term formic acid treatments. Cluster III is characterized by dominant usage of amitraz fumigation and formed by seven Eastern European countries. The median number of different treatments applied per beekeeper was lowest in cluster III. Based on estimation of colony numbers in included countries, we extrapolated the proportions of colonies treated with different methods in Europe. This suggests that circa 62% of colonies in Europe are treated with amitraz, followed by oxalic acid for the next largest percentage of colonies. We discuss possible factors determining the choice of Varroa control measures in the different clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Surveillance of Candida species isolates from blood cultures (BCs) in Europe is considered fragmented, unable to allow the definition of targets of antifungal stewardship recommendations especially during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: We performed a multicentric retrospective study including all consecutive BC Candida isolates from six Southern European tertiary hospitals (1st January 2020 to 31st December 2021). Etiology, antifungal susceptibility patterns, and clinical setting were analyzed and compared. Results: C. albicans was the dominant species (45.1%), while C. auris was undetected. Candida species positive BC events increased significantly in COVID-19 ICUs in 2021 but decreased in other ICUs. Resistance to azole increased significantly and remained very high in C. albicans (fluconazole from 0.7% to 4.5%, p = 0.03) and C. parapsilosis complex (fluconazole up to 24.5% and voriconazole up to 8.9%), respectively. Resistance to caspofungin was remarkable in C. tropicalis (10%) and C. krusei (20%), while resistance to at least one echinocandin increased in 2021, especially in C. parapsilosis complex (from 0.8% to 5.1%, p = 0.05). Although no significant differences were observed over the study period, fluconazole and echinocandin resistance increased in COVID-19 ICUs by up to 14% and 5.8%, respectively, but remained undetected in non-intensive COVID-19 wards. Conclusions: Antifungal stewardship activities aimed at monitoring resistance to echinocandin in C. tropicalis and C. krusei, and against the spread of fluconazole resistant C. parapsilosis complex isolates are highly desirable. In COVID-19 patients, antifungal resistance was mostly present when the illness had a critical course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The development of skeletal anomalies in the early life stage of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) poses a significant challenge for farmers, affecting their profit margins, animal welfare, and the consumers' perception of the aquaculture industry. Although many factors have been considered to be causative in the development of skeletal anomalies in marine finfish, the stocking density and available swimming space represent two key parameters which can be easily manipulated by the farmers during the critical phase of pre-ongrowing (prior to being placed in sea cages). This work aims at distinguishing which among tank volume and stocking density is the driving factor eliciting the development of skeletal anomalies during the pre-ongrowing phase in gilthead seabream, a productive cycle in which many skeletal anomalies can arise, particularly those affecting the vertebral axis. The results from this work indicated that particular cranial and axis deformities affected fish in higher incidences when they were reared at higher densities. The results are discussed through an eco-evo-devo approach in relation to the potential mechanisms at play affecting the increased prevalence of skeletal anomalies found. This research represents an intriguing contribution to aquaculture with results that can be applied directly to the production methods used by fish farmers to ameliorate the skeletal and morphological quality of farmed gilthead seabream. Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) production is a highly valued aquaculture industry in Europe. The presence of skeletal deformities in farmed gilthead seabream represents a major bottleneck for the industry leading to economic losses, negative impacts on the consumers' perception of aquaculture, and animal welfare issues for the fish. Although past work has primarily focused on the hatchery phase to reduce the incidence of skeletal anomalies, this work targets the successive pre-ongrowing phase in which more severe anomalies affecting the external shape often arise. This work aimed to test the effects of: (i) larger and smaller tank volumes, stocked at the same density; and (ii) higher and lower stocking densities maintained in the same water volume, on the skeleton of gilthead seabream fingerlings reared for ~63 days at a pilot scale. Experimental rearing was conducted with gilthead seabream juveniles (~6.7 ± 2.5 g), which were selected as 'non-deformed' based on external inspection, stocked at three different densities (Low Density (LD): 5 kg/m3; Medium Density (MD): 10 kg/m3; High Density (HD): 20 kg/m3) in both 500 L and 1000 L tanks. Gilthead seabream were sampled for growth performance and radiographed to assess the skeletal elements at the beginning and end of the experimental trial. Results revealed that (i) LD fish were significantly longer than HD fish, although there were no differences in final weights, regardless of the water volume; (ii) an increase in the prevalence of seabream exhibiting cranial and vertebral axis anomalies was found to be associated with increased density. These results suggest that farmers can significantly reduce the presence of some cranial and axis anomalies affecting pre-ongrown gilthead seabream by reducing the stocking density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of non-indigenous species (NIS) is one of the major threats to the integrity of European coastal ecosystems. DNA-based assessments have been increasingly adopted for monitoring NIS. However, the accuracy of DNA-based taxonomic assignments is largely dependent on the completion and reliability of DNA barcode reference libraries. As such, we aimed to compile and audit a DNA barcode reference library for marine invertebrate NIS occurring in Europe. To do so, we compiled a list of NIS using three databases: the European Alien Species Information Network (EASIN), the Information System on Aquatic Non-indigenous and Cryptogenic Species (AquaNIS), and the World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS). For each species, we retrieved the available cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) mitochondrial gene sequences from the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) and used the Barcode, Audit & Grade System (BAGS) to check congruence between morphospecies names and Barcode Index Numbers (BINs). From the 1249 species compiled, approximately 42% had records on BOLD, among which 56% were discordant. We further analyzed these cases to determine the causes of the discordances and attributed additional annotation tags. Of the 622 discordant BINs, after revision, 35% were successfully solved, which increased the number of NIS detected in metabarcoding datasets from 12 to 16. However, a fair number of BINs remained discordant. Reliability of reference barcode records is particularly critical in the case of NIS, where erroneous identification may trigger action or inaction when not required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) defines the volume of air adjacent to the Earth's surface for the dilution of heat, moisture, and trace substances. Quantitative knowledge on the temporal and spatial variations in the heights of the ABL and its sub-layers is still scarce, despite their importance for a series of applications (including, for example, air quality, numerical weather prediction, greenhouse gas assessment, and renewable energy production). Thanks to recent advances in ground-based remote-sensing measurement technology and algorithm development, continuous profiling of the entire ABL vertical extent at high temporal and vertical resolution is increasingly possible. Dense measurement networks of autonomous ground-based remote-sensing instruments, such as microwave radiometers, radar wind profilers, Doppler wind lidars or automatic lidars and ceilometers are hence emerging across Europe and other parts of the world. This review summarises the capabilities and limitations of various instrument types for ABL monitoring and provides an overview on the vast number of retrieval methods developed for the detection of ABL sub-layer heights from different atmospheric quantities (temperature, humidity, wind, turbulence, aerosol). It is outlined how the diurnal evolution of the ABL can be monitored effectively with a combination of methods, pointing out where instrumental or methodological synergy are considered particularly promising. The review highlights the fact that harmonised data acquisition across carefully designed sensor networks as well as tailored data processing are key to obtaining high-quality products that are again essential to capture the spatial and temporal complexity of the lowest part of the atmosphere in which we live and breathe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, once formed extensive reef habitats throughout European seas and estuaries. These reefs are now largely functionally extinct, yet interest and support for their restoration is rapidly growing. A major bottleneck to scaling up oyster reef restoration is the lack of available oysters to supply the growing demand. This study aimed to identify the ten questions which, if answered, would increase the consistency and success in hatchery production of O. edulis for habitat restoration. Candidate questions were submitted by representatives from twelve commercial and research hatcheries across Europe. The list of 98 candidate questions were collaboratively discussed by experts from nine research hatcheries across eight countries in Europe, to identify the top ten questions via an iterative and open process. Questions were grouped into the following themes: conditioning and feeding, larval rearing, disease and water quality, hatchery protocol, genetics, and hatchery management. There were several overarching topics spanning these themes, including diet optimisation, maximising the effective population size, and developing the technical skillbase in order to increase hatchery production to meet the projected increase in demand for oyster seed for habitat restoration efforts. We anticipate this list will provide a starting point for collaborative research efforts across Europe, as well as assisting policy makers and funders in identifying key knowledge gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, is a habitat-forming bivalve which was historically widespread throughout Europe. Following its decline due to overfishing, pollution, sedimentation, invasive species, and disease, O. edulis and its beds are now listed as a threatened and/or declining species and habitat by OSPAR. Increasing recognition of the plight of the oyster, alongside rapidly developing restoration techniques and growing interest in marine restoration, has resulted in a recent and rapid growth in habitat restoration efforts. O. edulis seed supply is currently a major bottleneck in scaling up habitat restoration efforts in Europe. O. edulis has been cultured for centuries, however, research into its culture declined following the introduction of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas to Europe in the early 1970 s. Recent efforts to renew both hatchery and pond production of O. edulis seed for habitat restoration purposes are hampered by restoration project timelines and funding typically being short, or projects not planning appropriately for the timescales required for investment, research-and-development and delivery of oyster seed by commercial producers. Furthermore, funding for restoration is intermittent, making long-term commitments between producers and restoration practitioners difficult. Long-term, strategic investment in research and production are needed to overcome these bottlenecks and meet current ambitious restoration targets across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: PSMA-PET is currently recommended to restage PCa and to guide salvage treatments. We aim to evaluate the oncologic outcomes of patients with recurrent PCa who received PSMA-PET. PSMA-PET may be a prognostic tool in BCR patients after PR. In recurrent PCa patients who never received previous salvage therapies, men with positive PSMA-PET had similar oncologic outcomes compared to those with negative PSMA-PET. PCa patients who already had previous salvage therapies with positive PSMA-PET experienced worse oncologic outcomes compared to those with negative PSMA-PET. In a PSMA-PET positive population no significant differences were found in terms of progression and metastasis between patients with oligometastatic vs. polimetastatic disease and local/N1 vs. M1 at PSMA-PET. Background: Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen-Positron Emission Tomography (PSMA-PET) is currently recommended to restage prostate cancer (PCa) and to guide the delivery of salvage treatments. We aim to evaluate the oncologic outcomes of patients with recurrent PCa who received PSMA-PET. Methods: 324 hormone-sensitive PCa with PSA relapse after radical prostatectomy who underwent PSMA-PET in three high-volume European Centres. Patients have been stratified as pre-salvage who never received salvage treatments (n = 134), and post-salvage, including patients who received previous salvage therapies (n = 190). Patients with oligorecurrent (≤3 lesions), PSMA-positive disease underwent PSMA-directed treatments: salvage radiotherapy (sRT) or Metastases-directed therapy (MDT). Patients with polirecurrent (>3 lesions) PSMA-positive disease were treated with systemic therapy. Patients with negative PSMA-PET were treated with sRT or systemic therapies or observation. The primary outcome of the study was Progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary outcomes were: Metastases-free survival (MFS) and Castration Resistant Pca free survival (CRPC-FS). Results: median follow up was 23 months. In the pre-salvage setting, the PFS, MFS and CRPC-FS estimates at 3 years were 66.2% vs. 38.9%, 95.2% vs. 73.7% and 94.9% vs. 93.1% in patients with negative vs. positive PSMA-PET, respectively (all p ≥ 0.2). In the post-salvage setting, the PFS, MFS and CRPC-FS estimates at 3 years were 59.5% vs. 29.1%, 92.7% vs. 65.1% and 98.8% vs. 88.8% in patients with negative vs. positive PSMA-PET, respectively (all p ≤ 0.01). At multivariable analyses, a positive PSMA-PET was an independent predictor of progression (HR = 2.15) and metastatic disease (HR 2.37; all p ≤ 0.03). Conclusion: PSMA-PET in recurrent PCa detects the site of recurrence guiding salvage treatments and has a prognostic role in patients who received previous salvage treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature on mandibular incisive canal (MIC) studies using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). Materials and Methods: A PROSPERO-registered systematic review (#42017056619) was conducted following the PRISMA statements to summarize current knowledge on the CBCT aspects of the MIC. A search was performed in PubMed's Medline and Scopus databases, without date or language restrictions, using the algorithm {[(Interforaminal region) OR (mandibular incisive channel) OR (mandibular incisive nerve) OR (mental mandible) OR (anterior mandible) (cone beam computed tomography)]}. Also, the references were crosschecked. The Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument and meta-analysis was used to evaluate the selected studies. Results: A total of 410 articles were found, and 25 studies were selected after a two-step selection process. The CBCT systems differed regarding field of view (FOV) (large, n = 3; medium, n = 2; small, n = 4; not informed, n = 16) and voxel size (0.15 to 0.4 mm). Geographically, the studies were distributed across four continents (South America, North America, Asia, and Europe), and there was a statistical significance of studies from the American and Asian continents (P < .0001). From 3,421 CBCT exams, the number of female patients was slightly higher than male, and the mean age ranged from 29.8 to 59.1 years. The overall mean prevalence of MIC was 89.6% ± 15.08%, and bilateral occurrence was statistically significant (P < .0001). The studies using a voxel size lower than 0.3 mm showed the highest mean prevalence (93.88%) in comparison with voxel size described as ≥ 0.3 mm (89.33%). Diameter (0.45 to 4.12 mm) and length (6.6 to 40.3 mm) showed great variability among the included studies. Conclusion: The results of this systematic review evidenced a high worldwide prevalence of MIC. There was no prevalence of MIC in relation to sex, and its presence was mainly related to adults between the fourth and sixth decades of life. In addition, great heterogeneity of methodologies was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exclusive breastfeeding is the optimal infant nutrition, providing infants immunoprotection against many diseases including SARS-CoV-2 infection. Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively affected breastfeeding practices in maternity care facilities. The aims of the study were to examine exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge over time and to identify factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding during the pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among mothers who gave birth in a maternity care facility in the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The socio-ecological model was employed to examine intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, and community/society factors associated with maternal report of exclusive breastfeeding at the time of discharge. Results: There were 26,709 participating mothers from 17 European Region countries who were included in the analysis. Among the mothers, 72.4% (n = 19,350) exclusively breastfed and 27.6% (n = 7,359) did not exclusively breastfeed at discharge. There was an overall decline in exclusive breastfeeding rates over time (p = 0.015) with a significantly lower rate following the publication of the WHO breastfeeding guidelines on 23 June 2020 (AOR 0.88; 95% CI 0.82, 0.94). Factors significantly associated with exclusive breastfeeding outcomes in the logistic regression analysis included maternal age, parity, education, health insurance, mode of birth, inadequate breastfeeding support, lack of early breastfeeding initiation, lack of full rooming-in, birth attendant, perceived healthcare professionalism and attention, facility room cleanliness, timing of birth, and location of birth. Conclusions: Results from the study indicate the decline in exclusive breastfeeding rates in the WHO European Region during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the socio-ecological model to identify factors associated with breastfeeding outcomes facilitates an integrated and holistic approach to address breastfeeding needs among women across the region. These findings demonstrate the need to augment breastfeeding support and to protect exclusive breastfeeding among mother-infant dyads, in an effort to reverse the declining exclusive breastfeeding rates. The study highlights the need to educate mothers and their families about the importance of exclusive breastfeeding, reduce maternal-infant separation, increase professional breastfeeding support, and follow evidence-based practice guidelines to promote breastfeeding in a comprehensive and multi-level manner. Trial registration number: Clinical Trials NCT04847336. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial activities involving dogs and cats have become increasingly important and contribute significantly to the European economy. One of the most important activities is undoubtedly their translocation for commercial purposes. This is governed by the Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and amending Directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC and Regulation (EC) No. 1255/97. Unfortunately, Regulation EC No. 1/2005 reports only a few specific mentions of companion animals. Since scientific studies on the effects of transport on the welfare of dogs and cats are scarce, much of the available information is in the form of recommendations based on practical experience, rather than evidence-based research. Up to date, the effects of food and water deprivation, the use of some drugs (e.g. sedatives and anxiolytics), or weather impacts on companion animal health and welfare during transport are still a matter of debate. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review is to summarise the European Regulation on dog and cat welfare during transport, suggesting possible implementation, and to document the negative effects of transportation, suggesting how to mitigate them based on scientific evidence. To date, habituation to containers and travelling, particularly using positive reinforcement training, seems to be the most effective strategy to reduce transport stress in these animals. However, still many gaps of knowledge are present and further studies are needed. This review may be useful for all people involved in the companion animal industry. Pet commercial transportation is a growing reality. Pets should be trained to become familiar with containers and journeys. More research on the effects of transportation of pets is needed. The Regulation EC 1/2005 should be revised using research-based evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual preferences for 'ageing in place' (AIP) in old age are not well understood. One way to test the strength of AIP preference is to investigate the effect of health shocks on residential mobility to smaller size or value dwellings, which we refer to as 'housing downsizing'. This paper exploits more than a decade worth of longitudinal data to study older people's housing decisions across a wide range of European countries. We estimate the effect of health shocks on different proxies for physical and financial housing downsizing (residential mobility, differences in home value, home value to wealth ratio), to examine the persistence of AIP preferences. Our findings suggest that consistently with the AIP hypothesis, after every decade of life, the likelihood of downsizing decreases by two percentage points (pp). However, the experience of a health shock partially reverts such culturally embedded preference for AIP by a non-negligible magnitude. We estimate a 9pp increase in the probability of residential mobility after the onset of a degenerative illness), and an average 0.6 fewer rooms after the onset of a degenerative illness. Such estimates are larger in Northern and Central European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on some presumptions or conditions to portray the future, scenario planning is a vital tool for scholarly evaluation of uncertainties and forming supportive strategies. Moreover, seeing that the course of the Covid-19 pandemic and the success of herd immunity is still not predictable, the world should be prepared for different future scenarios. In this vein, this study was designed to develop a scenario planning framework for the (post-)pandemic tourism in European destinations to make assumptions for the future and provide the necessary strategies. According to our scenarios, we suggest strategies comprising six main categories (financial strategies, travellers' expectations and confidence, coordination and collaboration, employment, (post-)pandemic tourism marketing, and sustainable (post-) pandemic tourism) for policymakers, destination managers, stakeholders, and practitioners in European destinations. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first that presents a comprehensive scenario planning framework for (post-)pandemic tourism in European destinations. Thus, it can play a reference role in understanding the different circumstances and determining the specific strategies to recover or re-design the industry in the (post-)pandemic epoch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the perception of quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth among migrant and nonmigrant women in Europe. Methods: Women who gave birth at a health facility in 11 countries of the WHO European Region from March 2020 to July 2021 were invited to answer an online questionnaire including demographics and childbirth experience. Data were analyzed and compared for 1781 migrant and 20 653 nonmigrant women. Results: Migrant women who experienced labor perceived slightly more difficulties in attending routine antenatal visits (41.2% vs 39.4%; P = 0.001), more barriers in accessing facilities (32.9% vs 29.9%; P = 0.001), lack of timely care (14.7% vs 13.0%; P = 0.025), inadequate room comfort and equipment (9.2% vs 8.5%; P = 0.004), inadequate number of women per room (9.4% vs 8.6%; P = 0.039), being prevented from staying with their baby as they wished (7.8% vs 6.9%; P = 0.011), or suffering abuse (14.5% vs 12.7%; P = 0.022) compared with nonmigrant women. For women who had a prelabor cesarean, migrant women were more likely not to receive pain relief after birth (16.8% vs.13.5%; P = 0.039) and less likely to provide informal payment (1.8% vs 4.4%; P = 0.005) compared with nonmigrant women. Overall, the QMNC index was not significantly different for migrant compared with nonmigrant women. Conclusion: Gaps in overall QMNC were reported by both migrant and nonmigrant women, with improvements to healthcare necessary for all. Synopsis: Both migrant and nonmigrant women reported gaps in overall quality of maternal and newborn health care, highlighting the need for overarching improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past molecular studies using mtDNA sequences and alloenzymes signalled the existence of at least two cryptic species within the Hediste diversicolor morphotype, in European coasts. However, to this day, no new species descriptions have been made. In this study, we identified five completely sorted lineages using a multi-locus approach, including the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI-5P) and the nuclear markers ITS2 rRNA and 28S rRNA. The molecular data were complemented with morphometric measurements examined through multivariate statistical analysis and the incorporation of statistical dissimilarities. Apart from the Baltic Sea, where three of the lineages occur in sympatry, Hediste diversicolor comprises four deeply divergent allopatric lineages in the rest of Europe. They group populations from the NE Atlantic and part of the Western Mediterranean Sea; from the Tyrrhenian Sea; from the Adriatic and Ionian Sea; and, lastly, from the Caspian, Black and the northern Aegean Seas. The lineage from the Ionian Sea revealed low genetic distances compared with the one from the Adriatic Sea and lacked enough specimens for the morphometric analysis, preventing further conclusions about its independent status. Three independent morphometric clusters were identified mainly based on worm size, the distance between the anterior and posterior eyes, parapodia proportions and the length of several prostomial appendages. Two sympatric lineages present in the Baltic Sea, showed evidence of possible hybridization and lacked significant PCA morphometric variation between them. The two remaining lineages were formally described as new species, namely Hediste pontii sp. nov. (Adriatic Sea) and Hediste astae sp. nov. (northern Aegean, Caspian and Black Seas). These new species can now be formally recognized and used in biomonitoring or other relevant ecological studies. Finally, a neotype is defined for H. diversicolor, whose usage is restricted to the NE Atlantic lineage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last years, the demand for new eco-friendly ingredients has increased on the cosmetic market. Consumers are more aware of sustainable principles and, simultaneously, more conscious regarding the skin aging process. Chestnut (Castanea sativa) shells are a food by-product produced in high quantities in Europe. This waste has been described as a rich source of phenolic compounds with skin biological effects, such as antioxidant, antiradical, and anti-inflammatory activities. Despite the huge number of assays reporting the richness of chestnut shell extracts in bioactive compounds as well as the development of cosmetic formulations containing these extracts, no in vivo assays have assessed their clinical efficacy in human volunteers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect on skin face parameters of a formulation containing a chestnut shell extract in human volunteers (n = 22) who applied the product twice per day, for 56 days. For that, biophysical techniques, including Corneometer®, Cutometer®, and PrimosPremium, were employed, allowing the quantification of skin hydration and firmness, as well as of wrinkles' depth and volume and wrinkles' skin roughness. The results demonstrated that the formulation led to a slight decrease in roughness and wrinkles' depth, although no significant differences with respect to a placebo were observed. In addition, a clear improvement of skin hydration was achieved (t0 = 54.00 Arbitrary Units (A.U.) and t56 = 58.62 A.U.). In contrast to the placebo, the active formulation increased skin firmness up to 31.76% in 50.00% of the volunteers, but without significant differences with respect to the placebo, probably due to the short period of treatment. A long-term use of the product is recommended to possibly observe significant differences in all parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acacia spp. are invasive in Southern Europe, and their high propagation rates produce excessive biomass, exacerbating wildfire risk. However, lignocellulosic biomass from Acacia spp. may be utilised for diverse biorefinery applications. In this study, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), high-performance anion-exchange chromatography pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and lignin content determinations were used for a comparative compositional characterisation of A. dealbata, A. longifolia and A. melanoxylon. Additionally, biomass was treated with three white-rot fungi species (Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor), which preferentially degrade lignin. Our results showed that the pre-treatments do not significantly alter neutral sugar composition while reducing lignin content. Sugar release from enzymatic saccharification was enhanced, in some cases possibly due to a synergy between white-rot fungi and mild alkali pretreatments. For example, in A. dealbata stems treated with alkali and P. ostreatus, saccharification yield was 702.3 nmol mg−1, which is higher than the samples treated only with alkali (608.1 nmol mg−1), and 2.9-fold higher than the non-pretreated controls (243.9 nmol mg−1). By characterising biomass and pretreatments, generated data creates value for unused biomass resources, contributing to the implementation of sustainable biorefining systems. In due course, the generated value will lead to economic incentives for landowners to cut back invasive Acacia spp. more frequently, thus reducing excess biomass, which exacerbates wildfire risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longevity expectations (LE) are subjective assessments of future health status that can influence a number of individual health protective decisions. This is especially true during a pandemic such as COVID-19, as the risk of ill health depends more than ever on such protective decisions. This paper examines the causal effect of LE on some protective health behaviors and a number of decisions regarding forgoing health care. We use data from the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe, and we draw on an instrumental variable strategy exploiting individual level information on parental age at death. Consistent with the too healthy to be sick hypothesis, we find that individuals, exhibiting higher expected longevity, are more likely to engage in protective behaviours, and are less likely to forgo medical treatment. We estimate that a one standard deviation increase in LE increases the probability to comply always with social distancing by 0.6%, to meet people less often by 0.4% and decreases the probability to forgo any medical treatment by 0.6%. Our estimates vary depending on supply side restrictions influencing the availability of health care, as well as individual characteristics such as gender and the presence of pre-existing health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely discussed that the pandemic has impacted educational inequalities across the world. However, in contrast to data on health or unemployment, data on education outcomes are not timely. Hence, we have extremely limited knowledge about pandemic-related learning losses at the national and cross-national levels. As it might take years to get suitable comparative data, this study uses the latest large-scale international achievement survey from before the pandemic, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2019, to answer two research questions. First, which European countries are most likely to have experienced higher learning loss among their children? Second, which European countries have most likely experienced the greatest increases in learning inequalities? Results based on 4th graders' school achievements indicate that educational inequalities between and within countries are likely to have augmented substantially throughout Europe. Some European countries are probably already facing an education crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nebivolol (NEB) is a highly selective β1 receptor antagonist with a distinct pharmacological profile. This drug is approved for the treatment of hypertension in the US, and hypertension and heart failure in Europe. Here, we review observations based on age dependence and explore new drug regimens with in-silico studies, to achieve better efficacy and safety. The clinical data were obtained from six published literature reports. Then the data were used for model building, evaluation, and simulation. A two-compartment model with first-order absorption, lag time, linear elimination, and the following covariates: age and genotype were the ones best describing our population. Simulation of different dose regimens resulted in an increase chance of efficacy and safety when the dose regimen was altered to 6 mg every 36 h. It is worth noting that our population in this study constituted of young and healthy individuals. Studies regarding the effects of NEB according to age are scarce; however, they are needed to further improve efficacy and safety, and reduce adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess if baseline iron deficiency, with or without anemia, is associated with incident infections over 3 years among community-dwelling older adults. Design: Prospective secondary analysis of DO-HEALTH, a 3-year randomized, double-blind controlled trial. Setting And Participants: 2157 community-dwelling adults age 70+ from 5 European countries with good cognitive function and mobility and no major health events in the 5 years prior to enrollment Measurements: Incident infections, their severity and type were recorded every 3 months throughout the 3-year follow-up. Iron deficiency was defined as soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels > 28.1 nmol/l and anemia as hemoglobin levels < 120 g/l for women and 130 g/l for men. We applied negative binomial mixed effects regression models with random effects for countries, and controlling for treatment allocation, age, sex, body mass index, polypharmacy, number of comorbidities, smoking status, living situation, alcohol intake, frailty status, and physical activity levels. A pre-defined stratified analysis was performed to explore if the associations between iron deficiency and infections were consistent by baseline anemia status. Results: In total, 2141 participants were included in the analyses (mean age 74.9 years, 61.5% of women, 26.8% with iron deficiency). Across all participants, baseline iron deficiency was not associated with incident overall infections, but was associated with a 63% greater rate of incident severe infections requiring hospitalization (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.63, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.11–2.41, p=0.01). This association was more pronounced among the 2000 participants who did not have anemia at baseline (IRR=1.80, 95% CI 1.20–2.69, p=0.005). Conclusion: Based on this prospective study among generally healthy European community-dwelling older adults, iron deficiency was not associated with the incidence rate of overall infections but may increase the incidence of severe infections. Intervention studies are needed to prove the causality of this observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]