Search

No abstract available

Objective.Spondyloarthritis (SpA) is among the most frequent extraintestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In this study, we aimed to validate the DETection of Arthritis in Inflammatory boweL diseases (DETAIL) questionnaire in a multicenter cohort of patients with IBD enrolled at 11 gastroenterology units.Methods.From October 2018 to March 2019, consecutive adult patients with IBD, either Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis, independently filled out the DETAIL questionnaire in the outpatient waiting room. Within 2 weeks a blinded rheumatologist assessed all the patients, irrespective of the DETAIL results, and classified them to be affected or not by SpA. The performance of the questions was evaluated through Bayesian analysis.Results.Overall, 418 patients with IBD filled out the DETAIL questionnaire. Upon rheumatological evaluation, 102 (24.4%) patients received a diagnosis of SpA. Of the 6 questions, the best performances were found in question 6 [positive likelihood ratio (LR)+ 3.77], reporting inflammatory back pain at night, and in question 3 (LR+ 3.31), exploring Achilles enthesitis. The presence of back pain lasting > 3 months (LR+ 2.91), back pain with inflammatory features (LR+ 2.55), and a history of dactylitis (LR+ 2.55), also showed a fairly good performance, whereas a history of peripheral synovitis was slightly worse (LR+ 2.16). The combination of at least 3 questions answered affirmatively yielded a posttest probability of SpA of 80% or more. The presence of alternative diagnoses, such as osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia, represented a minor confounder.Conclusion.The DETAIL questionnaire is a useful tool for the early detection of SpA in IBD.

Marine recreational fishers accumulate a vast amount of local ecological knowledge (LEK) during their fishing activity that can be of paramount importance for monitoring how climate change affects fish assemblages. We assessed LEK of recreational fishers to investigate the increase in the abundance of 5 northward-expanding indigenous thermophilic fish species in 2 Mediterranean subregions. We accessed LEK through an online survey completed by 794 re- creational fishers (386 from the Adriatic/Ionian subregion and 408 from the Tyrrhenian/Ligurian subregion). The species perceived to have increased most in abundance were Pomatomus salta- trix (71% of replies) followed by Sphyraena viridensis (58%). The remaining species (Sparisoma cretense, Balistes capriscus and Coryphaena hippurus) ranged between 17 and 25%. Recreational fishers have a stable system of beliefs about meridionalization, which is perceived homogeneously between recreational anglers and recreational spearfishers. Our results indicate that latitude is negatively correlated with meridionalization in the Adriatic/Ionian, but not in the Tyrrhenian/ Ligurian Seas, suggesting that meridionalization of the Adriatic/Ionian Seas could be a process that has temporally lagged with respect to the Tyrrhenian/Ligurian Seas. Our study demonstrates that LEK of recreational fishers can be easily accessed on a large geographical scale and can be useful to monitor changes in the distributions of data-limited species such as those studied here.

Climate change and biological invasions are rapidly reshuffling species distribution, restructuring the biological communities of many ecosystems worldwide. Tracking these transformations in the marine environment is crucial, but our understanding of climate change effects and invasive species dynamics is often hampered by the practical challenge of surveying large geographical areas. Here, we focus on the Mediterranean Sea, a hot spot for climate change and biological invasions to investi- gate recent spatiotemporal changes in fish abundances and distribution. To this end, we accessed the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of small-scale and recreational fish- ers, reconstructing the dynamics of fish perceived as "new" or increasing in different fishing areas. Over 500 fishers across 95 locations and nine different countries were interviewed, and semiquantitative information on yearly changes in species abun- dance was collected. Overall, 75 species were mentioned by the respondents, mostly warm-adapted species of both native and exotic origin. Respondents belonging to the same biogeographic sectors described coherent spatial and temporal patterns, and gradients along latitudinal and longitudinal axes were revealed. This information pro- vides a more complete understanding of the shifting distribution of Mediterranean fishes and it also demonstrates that adequately structured LEK methodology might be applied successfully beyond the local scale, across national borders and jurisdic- tions. Acknowledging this potential through macroregional coordination could pave the way for future large-scale aggregations of individual observations, increasing our potential for integrated monitoring and conservation planning at the regional or even global level. This might help local communities to better understand, manage, and Email: eazzurr@gmail.com Funding information European Regional Development Fund, Grant/Award Number: MPA-Adapt 1MED15_3.2_M2_337; Albert II of Monaco Foundation 1 | INTRODUCTION The redistribution of Earth's species is among the most evident con- sequences of global warming (Parmesan & Yohe, 2003; Poloczanska et al., 2016) and a critical aspect for the health of both natural eco- systems and human populations worldwide (Pecl et al., 2017). These changes are usually greater for marine environments, because of their high environmental connectivity (Burrows et al., 2011) and because of the pivotal role of water temperatures, which strongly influence growth, survival, and reproduction in marine animals (Crozier & Hutchings, 2014; Reusch, 2014). In fact, even apparently modest changes in water temperature might trigger a rapid cascade of multiple pressures over marine organisms. Some species, unable to cope with these environmental alterations, or benefit from them, may change their abundances accordingly. However, mobile marine organisms also have another option: they can move to new areas where they were formerly absent (Cheung et al., 2009; Fogarty, Burrows, Pecl, Robinson, & Poloczanska, 2017). These two dynamics are not mutually exclusive, as they can be considered as different be- havioral and demographic responses that might coexist in the same species or population. Specifically, in the northern hemisphere, seawater warming has been associated with both the northward expansion of species and their increasing abundances (Fossheim et al., 2015; Perry, Low, Ellis, & Reynolds, 2005; Pörtner & Knust, 2007; Sabatés, Paloma, Lloret, & Raya, 2006). Yet, many studies provided evidence for the causal relationship between temperature, species distribution, and abun- dance (Cheung, Watson, & Pauly, 2013; Pinsky, Worm, Fogarty, Sarmiento, & Levin, 2013; Poloczanska et al., 2013) as well as their interplay with other global drivers, such as biological invasions, ma- rine overexploitation, and pollution (Stergiou, 2002; Walther et al., 2009). These changes, which are taking place across many differ- ent taxa and through different regions of the globe, have significant implications for biodiversity, ecosystems, and society (McGeoch & Latombe, 2016) and are considered to be particularly apparent in the Mediterranean, a semi-enclosed sea, which is warming faster than any other marine region in the world (Schroeder, Chiggiato, Bryden, Borghini, & Ben Ismail, 2016; Vargas-Yáñez et al., 2008). In addition, maritime traffic, mariculture, aquarium trade and above all, entries through the Suez Canal (Edelist, Rilov, Golani, Carlton, & Spanier, 2013; Parravicini, Azzurro, Kulbicki, & Belmaker, 2015) contribute to the introduction of a large number of nonindigenous species (hereafter referred as NIS) to this basin (Galil, Marchini, Occhipinti- Ambrogi, & Ojaveer, 2017; Golani et al., 2018; Zenetos et al., 2017), reshaping the structure of biological communities (Albouy et al., 2013, 2015, 2014; Katsanevakis et al., 2017) and impacting biodi- versity and fishery resources (Edelist et al., 2013). Despite the magnitude of these changes and their relevance for conservation and adaptation policy (Givan, Parravicini, Kulbicki, & Belmaker, 2017; Marras et al., 2015), observational studies are often fragmented in space (Elmendorf et al., 2015) and methodologically heterogeneous (Coll et al., 2010). This also applies to the northward expansions of warmwater species, a phenomenon that has been mostly described in the northwestern sectors of the Mediterranean basin, probably due to the uneven distribution of research ef- forts (Boero et al., 2008; Lejeusne, Chevaldonné, Pergent-Martini, Boudouresque, & Pérez, 2010; Marbà, Jordà, Agustí, Girard, & Duarte, 2015; Sabatés, Martín, & Raya, 2012). This fragmentation, together with the lack of coherent depictions of change, hampers the availability of reliable information to stakeholders and decision-mak- ers (Grafton, 2010; Pauly & Zeller, 2016). Indeed, in light of profound impacts that have already affected both people and the ecosystems they depend on, many national and transnational authorities and agencies are engaged in efforts to build adaptive capacity, seeking reliable information to enable people to anticipate and appropriately respond to the ongoing change (Coulthard, 2012). This explains the growing need of integrated monitoring and assessment systems to capture the ongoing transformations of marine ecosystems (includ- ing the effects of a changing climate) and to bring them into the pol- icy agendas (Creighton, Hobday, Lockwood, & Pecl, 2016). Certainly, our observational potential grew steadily during the last few years and increasing efforts are devoted to conceive global observation systems for up-to-date information on the state of biodiversity and the threats it faces (Tittensor et al., 2014). To achieve this, the use of standardized and cost-effective procedures is needed to underpin a large-scale observation strategy that can accommodate countries across a range of baseline knowledge levels and capabilities (Bélisle, Asselin, LeBlanc, & Gauthier, 2018; Latombe et al., 2017). These are key principles for collecting and integrating information from stake- holders across national boundaries. In this, fishers are a particularly interesting group of stakeholders, as they spend a considerable proportion of their lives in close contact with the marine environ- ment and they become familiar with local species. Therefore, their personal experience gained through individuals' observations over adapt to the ongoing biotic transformations driven by climate change and biological invaders.

Fishing of Nassarius mutabilis is by far the most important activity carried out by artisanal fisheries in the central and northern Adriatic Sea, accounting for more than 35% of total fishing effort and yielding from 2000 to 3000 t of landings each year. This gastropod is targeted from the beginning of autumn to the end of spring using basket traps. Despite its importance under a socioeconomic point of view, the scientific studies on the biology and ecology of this species are very scarce and the failure of the current management measures could also be attributed to the scarce knowledge on the biology of this species in the area. Taking this statement into consideration, the results of the present study contribute to fill a few existing gaps and may be useful to improve the management measures currently in force. Samples were collected from March 2006- March 2008 during monthly fishing surveys and carried out using basket traps in the central Adriatic Sea. A total of 383 males (size range 7-29 mm SH) and 504 females (size range 15-32 mm SH) were caught. Mean SH (± SD) of males was 15.84±3.57 mm and mean SH of females was 25.31±3.06 mm. A significant difference in the biometric characteristics between the two sexes was discovered. The condition index (CI) showed similar seasonal trends for both sexes, with a decrease from late winter to spring followed by an increase from summer to fall - early winter. The minimum values were recorded in summer and the maximum ones in winter, following an opposite trend in respect to water temperature. In the males this trend was observed starting from size classes larger than 11 mm SH, hence this size might be very close to the size at first sexual maturity. The size at first maturity hypothesized for females (16-20 mm SH) agrees with the minimum landing size (MLS) currently established for this species (20 mm SH). The absence of small females (SH < 15 mm) and large males (SH > 23 mm) leads to suppose a sex reversal from male to female at around 20 mm SH. On this basis, the management measure of MLS leads to the selective retention of females and, hence, to a sexual gap between the two sexes with possible consequences on the biology of the species and the resilience of the stock. The peaks of CI observed for males and females confirmed that the spawning season of this gastropod occurs in late winter - early spring, according to the abundant presence of egg capsules attached to submerged substrates in that period at sea. Consequently, from a management point of view, it would be advisable to shorten the fishing season that at present extends from fall to later spring.

U ovom radu procijenjeno je stanje populacije, mogućnost iskorištavanja, parametri rasta, smrtnost te mjere zaštite običnog lista u Jadranskom moru

In the framework of SoleMon project an experimental trawl survey using a modified beam trawl (named “rapido”) has been yearly carried out since 2005 up to nowadays, with the aim of assessing flatfish abundance and distribution patterns in the central and northern Adriatic Sea. The project introduced in the Mediterranean Sea an approach already applied in Northern Europe to assess demersal and benthic fauna by means of complementary surveys using the most suitable fishing gear for each resource. The present poster summarizes the data collected during the last four years (2007-2010) evidencing the importance of using an alternative gear for the evaluation of the dynamic of flatfish stocks.

U ovom radu opisan je prostorna rasprostranjenost i dinamika populacije običnog lista (Solea solea) u Jadranskom moru na osnovu rezultata dobivenih tijekom "Rapido Trawl Survey" istraživanja u okviru projekta SoleMon. Podaci su prikupljani u razdoblju od 2005. do 2010. god. na području srednjeg i sjevernog Jadrana na nasumično raspoređenim postajama korištenjem rampona.

The spatial distribution of Solea solea (Linneo, 1758: Soleidae) was evaluated throughout yearly rapido trawl surveys (2005-2007) carried out in fall in the central and northern Adriatic Sea. Age class 0+ aggregated inshore, mostly in the area close to the Po river mouth. Age class 1+ gradually migrated off-shore and adults concentrated in the deepest waters located at South West from Istria peninsula.

The trend of the young of the year of common sole, Solea solea (Linneus, 1758; Soleidae) was analysed over three years to evaluate the influence of some environmental parameters on recruitment success in the nursery areas. Data showed a noteworthy variability in the entity of the yearly recruitment, strongly linked to water temperature, oxygen concentration and river inflow.

Previous studies have shown similar effects of rabeprazole and omeprazole, when used at the same dose in the treatment of reflux oesophagitis. However, such studies have been conducted as superiority studies but interpreted as equivalence ones.To properly assess the comparative efficacy of rabeprazole and omeprazole in inducing complete endoscopic healing and symptom relief in patients with reflux oesophagitis.Patients (n=560) with Savary-Miller grade I-III reflux oesophagitis were randomised in a double-blind, double-dummy fashion to rabeprazole or omeprazole 20 mg once daily for 4-8 weeks. Then, patients endoscopically healed and symptomatically relieved were openly maintained with rabeprazole 10 mg or 2x10 mg once daily (in the event of clinical and/or endoscopic relapse) for a maximum of 48 weeks.After 4-8 weeks of treatment, healing (primary end-point) was observed in 228/233 (97.9%) patients in the rabeprazole group and in 231/237 (97.5%) in the omeprazole one (equivalence effect demonstrated by p0.0001 at Blackwelder test and an upper confidence limit at 97.5% of 0.023). However, rabeprazole was faster in inducing heartburn relief than omeprazole (2.8+/-0.2 versus 4.7+/-0.5 days of therapy to reach the first day with satisfactory heartburn relief, p=0.0045 at log-rank test). In the maintenance phase, 15.2% of patients had an endoscopic and/or clinical relapse.Rabeprazole is equivalent to omeprazole in healing reflux oesophagitis, but shows a faster activity on reflux symptoms in the early treatment phase.

The observation of a new species in a new area represents the first opportunity to follow and study the dynamics of colonization and understand how a new species arrives, what are its movements and its potential impact. The discovery of a large number of species outside their usual area of distribution is probably the most important reason for the increase in perceived biodiversity of the Adriatic ichthyofauna. A total of 4 specimens of T. picturatus were caught in the period May- June 2011 in the surroundings of an offshore gas platform in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Scientific literature depicts this species as rare in the Adriatic Sea, indicating and suggesting the Pomo Pit (Central Adriatic Sea) as the Northern latitudinal limit of its distribution. On this basis, this paper reports the first record of T. picturatus in the Northern Adriatic basin, suggesting an expansion of its spatial distribution.

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant emerged in South Africa in November 2021, and has later been identified worldwide, raising serious concerns. A real-time RT-PCR assay was designed for the rapid screening of the Omicron variant, targeting characteristic mutations of the spike gene. The assay was used to test 737 sewage samples collected throughout Italy (19/21 Regions) between 11 November and 25 December 2021, with the aim of assessing the spread of the Omicron variant in the country. Positive samples were also tested with a real-time RT-PCR developed by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), and through nested RT-PCR followed by Sanger sequencing. Overall, 115 samples tested positive for Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant. The first occurrence was detected on 7 December, in Veneto, North Italy. Later on, the variant spread extremely fast in three weeks, with prevalence of positive wastewater samples rising from 1.0% (1/104 samples) in the week 5-11 December, to 17.5% (25/143 samples) in the week 12-18, to 65.9% (89/135 samples) in the week 19-25, in line with the increase in cases of infection with the Omicron variant observed during December in Italy. Similarly, the number of Regions/Autonomous Provinces in which the variant was detected increased from one in the first week, to 11 in the second, and to 17 in the last one. The presence of the Omicron variant was confirmed by the JRC real-time RT-PCR in 79.1% (91/115) of the positive samples, and by Sanger sequencing in 66% (64/97) of PCR amplicons. In conclusion, we designed an RT-qPCR assay capable to detect the Omicron variant, which can be successfully used for the purpose of wastewater-based epidemiology. We also described the history of the introduction and diffusion of the Omicron variant in the Italian population and territory, confirming the effectiveness of sewage monitoring as a powerful surveillance tool.

More than 80% of wastewaters are discharged into rivers or seas, with a negative impact on water quality along the coast due to the presence of potential pathogens of faecal origin. Escherichia coli and enterococci are important indicators to assess, monitor, and predict microbial water quality in natural ecosystems. During rainfall events, the amount of wastewater delivered to rivers and coastal systems is increased dramatically. This study implements measures capable of monitoring the pathways of wastewater discharge to rivers and the transport of faecal bacteria to the coastal area during and following extreme rainfall events. Spatio-temporal variability of faecal microorganisms and their relationship with environmental variables and sewage outflow in an area located in the western Adriatic coast (Fano, Italy) was monitored. The daily monitoring during the rainy events was carried out for two summer seasons, for a total of five sampling periods. These results highlight that faecal microbial contaminations were related to rainy events with a high flow of wastewater, with recovery times for the microbiological indicators varying between 24 and 72 h and influenced by a dynamic dispersion. The positive correlation between ammonium and faecal bacteria at the Arzilla River and the consequences in seawater can provide a theoretical basis for controlling ammonium levels in rivers as a proxy to monitor the potential risk of bathing waters pathogen pollution.

Fishery discard survival depends on multiple conditions; caution is essential when survival study outputs are employed to support management decisions. The study presents a stepwise procedure, devised to estimate discard survival, that accounts for the variability characterizing commercial fishing practices. The procedure was applied to the first survival study performed onboard rapido trawlers targeting Solea solea in the Mediterranean Sea. Undersized specimens collected during sorting were assessed for vitality; some were retained for captive observation. The main drivers affecting discard survival at the time of catch sorting (immediate survival) were identified and used to outline four different operational conditions set (scenarios). Immediate survival in each scenario was subsequently modified by applying a hazard coefficient of survival after 5 days of captive observation in relation to each vitality class, thus obtaining relative survival estimates following discarding. Temperature and air exposure duration were found to exert a major effect on survival, with catch weight and seabed type being additional important factors. The relative survival rate showed an aggregate value of 22.9% (10.5–33.4%). Scenario approach can enhance our understanding of the stressors influencing discard survival. The outcomes are discussed to explore the potential applications of the procedure to the identification of mitigation strategies.

Marine bioinvasions require integrating monitoring tools with other complementary strategies. In this study, we collected information about the invasive alien crab Callinectes sapidus in Italy, Croatia and Montenegro, by means of online questionnaires administered to recreational fishers (n = 797). Our records matched the current distribution of the species: C. sapidus resulted far more common in the Adriatic/Ionian than in the Tyrrhenian/Ligurian sector. Most respondents rated the species as ‘occasional’ or ‘rare’. Moreover, the more C. sapidus was considered to be abundant, the more fishers tended to perceive it as a negative disturbance over fisheries and the environment. Our findings suggest that C. sapidus is more common than previously thought in most of the study area, and it could have reached the levels of a true invasions in the south-eastern Adriatic Sea. This experience demonstrates that online questionnaires can be appropriate tools to effectively engage stakeholders in alien species monitoring.

14 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, supporting information https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14670, Climate change and biological invasions are rapidly reshuffling species distribution, restructuring the biological communities of many ecosystems worldwide. Tracking these transformations in the marine environment is crucial, but our understanding of climate change effects and invasive species dynamics is often hampered by the practical challenge of surveying large geographical areas. Here, we focus on the Mediterranean Sea, a hot spot for climate change and biological invasions to investigate recent spatiotemporal changes in fish abundances and distribution. To this end, we accessed the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of small-scale and recreational fishers, reconstructing the dynamics of fish perceived as “new” or increasing in different fishing areas. Over 500 fishers across 95 locations and nine different countries were interviewed, and semiquantitative information on yearly changes in species abundance was collected. Overall, 75 species were mentioned by the respondents, mostly warm-adapted species of both native and exotic origin. Respondents belonging to the same biogeographic sectors described coherent spatial and temporal patterns, and gradients along latitudinal and longitudinal axes were revealed. This information provides a more complete understanding of the shifting distribution of Mediterranean fishes and it also demonstrates that adequately structured LEK methodology might be applied successfully beyond the local scale, across national borders and jurisdictions. Acknowledging this potential through macroregional coordination could pave the way for future large-scale aggregations of individual observations, increasing our potential for integrated monitoring and conservation planning at the regional or even global level. This might help local communities to better understand, manage, and adapt to the ongoing biotic transformations driven by climate change and biological invaders, European Regional Development Fund, Grant/Award Number: MPA‐Adapt 1MED15_3.2_M2_337; Albert II of Monaco Foundation

The intense shipping traffic characterising the Adriatic Sea favours the spread of marine organisms. Yet, a study of 12 Adriatic ports (4 on the western side and 8 on the eastern side of the basin) found that non-indigenous species (NIS) accounted for only 4% of the benthic communities settled on hard substrates. The cirripeds Amphibalanus amphitrite and Balanus trigonus , found in 8 harbours, were the most common invaders followed by Amphibalanus eburneus , the ascidian Styela plicata , and the bivalve Magallana gigas . The highest percentage of NIS was recorded in Venice and Ploce, the harbours with the least rich native communities; the lowest percentage was retrieved in Trieste, Koper, Pula, and Rijeka, the harbours hosting the highest species diversity. In contrast, the ports of Bari and Ancona showed both high NIS percentages and highly diversified communities.

AIM To report adalimumab (Ada) efficacy on articular-gastrointestinal disease and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with enteropathic spondyloarthritis (ES). METHODS A cohort of 52 patients with ES was evaluated in the departments of gastroenterology and internal medicine. At baseline, all patients underwent assessment by an integrated gastro-rheumatologic evaluation of articular and gastrointestinal activity, as well patient reported outcomes (PROs) of the HRQoL questionnaires. After this integrated evaluation and following a specific working flowchart, the Ada anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-inhibitor was assigned to a cohort of 30 patients and its clinical efficacy was evaluated at baseline and after 6-mo and 12-mo treatment by the following tests: (1) Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score-C-Reactive Protein (ASDAS-CRP); Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Metrology Index (BASMI) for articular activity; (2) Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and partial Mayo (pMayo) score for gastrointestinal symptoms and activity; and (3) Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Patient Global Assessment (PGA) and Short Form-36 health survey (SF-36) questionnaires for PROs of the HRQoL. RESULTS Integrated evaluation and management of the patients affected by ES, carried out simultaneously by a gastroenterologist and a rheumatologist, allowed clinicians to choose the optimal therapeutic strategy. In a cohort of 30 ES patients affected by active articular and gastrointestinal disease, or axial active articular inflammation, Ada led to fast and sustained improvement of both articular and gastrointestinal disease activities. In fact, all the clinimetric evaluation tests exploring articular or gastrointestinal activity, as well as all the HRQoL scores, showed a significant improvement having been achieved at the earliest (6-mo) assessment. This important clinical improvement was maintained at the 12-mo follow-up. Importantly, global and gastrointestinal quality of life significantly correlated with articular disease activity, providing evidence to support that the integrated evaluation is the best option to manage patients with ES. CONCLUSION Ada treatment, upon multidisciplinary (gastro-rheumatologic) evaluation, significantly improves both articular and gastrointestinal inflammation, thereby improving the HRQoL in patients affected by ES.