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The present article consists of an identification key that pertains to the skulls of the mammals of Cyprus, including Cetacea, Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Carnivora, Lagomorpha, Rodentia, Eulipotyphla, and Chiroptera. This key is developed based on material from Cyprus and nearby regions, aiming to encompass the unique characteristics of the island's mammal species. All genera included in the key are illustrated to support taxonomic identifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design pattern creation, especially in the e-learning domain, is a highly complex process that has not been sufficiently studied and formalized. In this paper, we propose a systematic pattern development cycle, whose most important aspects focus on reverse engineering of existing systems in order to elicit features that are cross-validated through the use of appropriate, authentic scenarios. However, an iterative pattern process is proposed that takes advantage of multiple data sources, thus emphasizing a holistic view of the teaching - learning processes. The proposed schema of pattern mining has been extensively validated for Asynchronous Network Supported Collaborative Learning (ANSCL) systems, as well as for other types of tools in a variety of scenarios, with promising results. (Contains 3 figures.)

The article presents the study on the possible theories why bats are susceptible to being killed by operating wind farms in North-Eastern Greece. It states that the fatalities of bat species such as Pipistrellus Pipistrellus, Pipistrellus Pygmaeus, and Hypsugo Savii at wind farms are linked to foraging activity. The fatalities of female bats were found only in spring or in autumn are linked to migration behavior while fatalities of male bats are linked to mating behavior. It also mentions that the bat fatalities caused by collision with turbines may affect the survival of bats.

The article discusses a study on the role of the social calls of the bat Pipistrellus hanaki in the investigation of foraging ecology and reproductive strategies. It examines the difference in the structure of the calls, in addition to the identification of broad-band, long duration and multi-harmonic social calls with temporal structures that are distinctive. It offers information on the increase of social calls in foraging areas during the summer and their decrease during autumn when the males prepare for mating.

Background: Aortoenteric fistula (AEF) is a critical clinical condition, which may present with gastrointestinal hemorrhage, with or without signs of sepsis. Conventional open surgical repair is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Endovascular stent graft repair has been attempted, but recurrent infection remains of major concern. We conducted a systematic review to assess potential factors associated with poor outcome after endovascular treatment. Methods: The English literature was searched using the MEDLINE electronic database up to April 2008. All studies reporting on the primary management of primary or secondary AEF with endovascular stent graft repair were considered. Results: Data were extracted from 33 reports that included 41 patients and were entered in the final analysis. Persistent/recurrent/new infection or recurrent hemorrhage developed in 44% of the patients, after a mean follow-up period of 13 months (range, 0.13-36). Secondary, as compared to primary, AEF had an almost threefold increased risk of persistent/recurrent infection. Evidence of sepsis preoperatively was found to be a factor indicating unfavorable outcome (P < .05). Persistent/recurrent/new infection after treatment was associated with worse 30-day and overall survival compared with those who did not develop sepsis (P < .05). Conclusion: Endovascular stent graft repair of AEF was associated with a high incidence of infection or recurrent bleeding postoperatively. Evidence of sepsis preoperatively was indicating poor outcome. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Wind turbines (WT) cause bird and bat mortalities which depend on the WT and landscape features. The effects of WT features and environmental variables at different spatial scales associated to bat deaths in a mountainous and forested area in Thrace, NE Greece were investigated. Initially, we sought to quantify the most lethal WT characteristic between tower height, rotor diameter and power. The scale of interaction distance between bat deaths and the land cover characteristics surrounding the WTs was quantified. A statistical model was trained and validated against bat deaths and WT, land cover, and topography features. Variance partitioning between bat deaths and the explanatory covariates was conducted. The trained model was used to predict bat deaths attributed to existing and future wind farm development in the region. Results indicated that the optimal interaction distance between WT and surrounding land cover was 5 km, the larger distance than the ones examined. WT power, natural land cover type and distance from water explained 40 %, 15 % and 11 % respectively of the total variance in bat deaths by WTs. The model predicted that operating but not surveyed WTs comprise of 377.8 % and licensed but not operating yet will contribute to 210.2 % additional deaths than the ones recorded. Results indicate that among all WT features and land cover characteristics, wind turbine power is the most significant factor associated to bat deaths. In addition, WTs located within 5 km buffer comprised of natural land cover types have substantial higher deaths. More WT power will result in more deaths. Wind turbines should not be licensed in areas where natural land cover at a radius of 5 km exceeds 50 %. These results are discussed in the climate-land use-biodiversity-energy nexus., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Elzbieta Kret & Eleftherios Kapsalis reports financial support was provided by MAVA Foundation. Elzbieta Kret & Eleftherios Kapsalis reports financial support was provided by BirdLife International. Aristides Moustakas reports financial support was provided by Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace. Panagiotis Georgiakakis reports financial support was provided by Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace. Aristides Moustakas & Panaqgiotis Georgiakakis report a relationship with Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace that includes: consulting or advisory., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Bats of Greece have been studied since the second half of the 19th century. Their distribution and ecology, however, remain poorly understood. Conservation efforts for the protection of the roosting and foraging habitats of their populations in Greece are limited. To date, 35 bat species have been recorded from Greece. Four species ( Eptesicus anatolicus , Plecotus auritus , Myotis brandtii and Rousettus aegyptiacus ) have a limited distribution in the country and the presence of one species ( Myotis mystacinus ) requires verification. The present study summarises all existing knowledge and adds several hundred new records on the distribution of bats of Greece. Additionally, it provides a summary of new insights on various aspects of their roosting ecology, foraging habitat use, altitudinal distribution, winter activity and landscape characteristics around major roosts. Finally, it discusses the current research and conservation needs of Greek bats.

Mediterranean temporary ponds are recognized as conservation priority habitats that face anthropogenic threats and are important habitats for a number of aquatic and terrestrial animals and plants. Bats are a diverse group of animals that use ponds for drinking and feeding on emerging aquatic insects and terrestrial insects in the riparian zone. We investigated the importance of temporary ponds for bats in Greece by acoustically sampling bat community structures and activity at temporary ponds throughout the year. We sampled monthly, from 3 to 13 months in 2019-2020, at sites at the pond edge and approximately 150-300 m away from the edge, at four temporary ponds in northern and southern Greece. Our results confirm the importance of temporary ponds for bats as activity was recorded year-round and was high in all but the winter months. In general, the distance to the edge of the pond and the presence of water in the pond explained bat activity together with air temperature. Importantly, whether dry or not, all ponds supported bat activity, independent of their particular characteristics. This study highlights the urgent need for the conservation of temporary ponds, especially in areas with limited water availability.

The interaction between agricultural production and wildlife can shape, and even condition, the functioning of both systems. In this study, we i) explored the degree to which a widespread European bat, namely the common bent-wing bat Miniopterus schreibersii, consumes crop-damaging insects at a continental scale, and ii) tested whether its dietary niche is shaped by the extension and type of agricultural fields. We employed a dual-primer DNA metabarcoding approach to characterize arthropod 16S and COI DNA sequences within bat faecal pellets collected across 16 Southern European localities, to first characterize the bat species' dietary niche, second measure the incidence of agricultural pests across their ranges and third assess whether geographical dietary variation responds to climatic, landscape diversity, agriculture type and vegetation productivity factors. We detected 12 arthropod orders, among which lepidopterans were predominant. We identified >200 species, 44 of which are known to cause agricultural damage. Pest species were detected at all but one sampling site and in 94% of the analysed samples. Furthermore, the dietary diversity of M. schreibersii exhibited a negative linear relation with the area of intensive agricultural fields, thus suggesting crops restrict the dietary niche of bats to prey taxa associated with agricultural production within their foraging range. Overall, our results imply that M. schreibersii might be a valuable asset for biological pest suppression in a variety of agricultural productions and highlight the dynamic interplay between wildlife and agricultural systems., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The isolation of populations in the Iberian, Italian and Balkan peninsulas during the ice ages define four main paradigms that explain much of the known distribution of intraspecific genetic diversity in Europe. In this study we investigated the phylogeography of a wide-spread bat species, the bent-winged bat, Miniopterus schreibersii around the Mediterranean basin and in the Caucasus. Environmental Niche Modeling (ENM) analysis was applied to predict both the current distribution of the species and its distribution during the last glacial maximum (LGM). The combination of genetics and ENM results suggest that the populations of M. schreibersii in Europe, the Caucasus and Anatolia went extinct during the LGM, and the refugium for the species was a relatively small area to the east of the Levantine Sea, corresponding to the Mediterranean coasts of present-day Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and northeastern and northwestern Egypt. Subsequently the species first repopulated Anatolia, diversified there, and afterwards expanded into the Caucasus, continental Europe and North Africa after the end of the LGM. The fossil record in Iberia and the ENM results indicate continuous presence of Miniopterus in this peninsula that most probably was related to the Maghrebian lineage during the LGM, which did not persist afterwards. Using our results combined with similar findings in previous studies, we propose a new paradigm explaining the general distribution of genetic diversity in Europe involving the recolonization of the continent, with the main contribution from refugial populations in Anatolia and the Middle East. The study shows how genetics and ENM approaches can complement each other in providing a more detailed picture of intraspecific evolution., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)