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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are contaminants of great concern due to their ubiquitous environmental occurrence in the environment and their potential adverse effects on organisms. There is currently limited information regarding the occurrence of PFASs in Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea). In this study, two feather samples per bird were obtained from 26 adults on Strofades colony (Ionian Sea/Greece) during the early phase of the chick-rearing period (late July 2019). The samples consisted of barbs and barbules of the primary feathers, P1 and P10, reflecting pollution pressures at the time and the place of feather growth, i.e., at the species’ breeding and wintering grounds for P1 and P10, respectively. There were 25 PFAS detected in the feathers, with detection rates ranging from 2% (perfluorododecanoic acid—PFDoDA; perfluorohexane sulfonate—PFHxS; 9-chlorohexadecafluoro-3-oxanonane-1-sulfonate—9Cl-PF3ONS; 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-(1,1,2,2,3,3,3-heptafluoropropoxy)propanoate—Gen-X) to 98% (sodium 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctane sulfonate; 6:2 FTSA). ∑PFAS ranged from 25.93 ng/g to 426.86 ng/g of feather sample. The highest mean concentration (109.10 ng/g feather) was reported for perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA). No significant differences in PFAS concentrations with high detection rate (>20%) were found according to the sex of the birds. PFAS concentrations with a detection rate > 20% in the P1 vs. P10 feathers of Scopoli’s Shearwater adults were not significantly different, reflecting the fact that breeding grounds in the Mediterranean and wintering grounds in the Atlantic seem to be contaminated with similar PFASs levels, even though some compounds showed regional trends.

Background and aim: We conducted an equivalence trial of quadruple non-bismuth “concomitant” and “hybrid” regimens for H. pylori eradication in a high clarithromycin resistance area. Methods: There were 321 treatment-naïve H. pylori-positive individuals in this multicenter clinical trial randomized to either the hybrid (esomeprazole 40 mg/bid, amoxicillin 1 g/bid for 7 days, then 7 days esomeprazole 40 mg/bid, amoxicillin 1 g/bid, clarithromycin 500 mg/bid, and metronidazole 500 mg/bid) or the concomitant regimen (all medications given concurrently bid for 10 days). Eradication was tested using histology and/or a 13C-urea breath test. Results: The concomitant regimen had 161 patients (90F/71M, mean 54.5 years, 26.7% smokers, 30.4% ulcer) and the hybrid regimen had 160 (80F/80M, mean 52.8 years, 35.6% smokers, 31.2% ulcer). The regimens were equivalent, by intention to treat 85% and 81.8%, (p = 0.5), and per protocol analysis 91.8% and 87.8%, (p = 0.3), respectively. The eradication rate by resistance, between concomitant and hybrid regimens, was in susceptible strains (97% and 97%, p = 0.6), clarithromycin single-resistant strains (86% and 90%, p = 0.9), metronidazole single-resistant strains (96% and 81%, p = 0.1), and dual-resistant strains (70% and 53%, p = 0.5). The side effects were comparable, except for diarrhea being more frequent in the concomitant regimen. Conclusions: A 14-day hybrid regimen is equivalent to a 10-day concomitant regimen currently used in high clarithromycin and metronidazole resistance areas. Both regimens are well tolerated and safe.

Here we report, for the first time, aspects of the breeding performance of Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) in one of its largest colonies in Europe, i.e., in the Strofades island group. We describe the chronology of the main events in the breeding cycle of this species on Stamfani Island, the largest island of this island group, including the evaluation of breeding performance and the influence of ecological factors (nesting habitat, nest type, nest-entrance orientation, and occupation rate per nest) on breeding success. The Scopoli’s Shearwater colony of Stamfani Island exhibited a high degree of breeding synchrony and nest site tenacity. The data obtained by monitoring 472 nests during five consecutive years (2008–2012), showed a breeding success (fledging per occupied nest per year) of up to 66.6%. In addition, hatching success (chick hatched successfully per egg laid) was 76.9%, and fledging success (fledging young per chick hatched successfully) was 86.8%. We also observed annual variations in breeding performance during that period. These results seemed to be influenced positively by the breeding experience of the pair. Furthermore, the type of nest site and the nest-entrance orientation were found to have an effect on breeding success rates, whereas the nesting habitat did not, indicating low predation risk by rats.

Black kites of the nominal subspecies Milvus migrans migrans breed in Europe and winter regularly in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. As a new phenomenon, black kites with morphological characteristics of the subspecies Milvus migrans lineatus are observed in Europe. Based on observations of black kites in winter 2020/2021 summarized in this paper, based on other recent reports about wintering black kites in Europe and based on juvenile black kite tagged on Crete and tracked for two years, we conclude that hundreds to thousands of black kites are now regularly wintering in south of Europe, and in smaller numbers in other parts of Europe as well as in northern Africa. The growing number of wintering black kites in Europe is apparently caused by members of the population from a hybrid zone between M. m. migrans and M. m. lineatus breeding east of the Urals, i.e. from the area of the European part of Russia. This is consistent with the hypothesis of the spreading of M. m. lineatus and a subsequent hybridization zone between M. m. migrans and M. m. lineatus in a westerly direction from Siberia across continental Europe. Moreover, two black kites found dead on Crete were attributed to M. m. lineatus and M. m. migrans by cytochrome B gene sequence analyses. The juvenile black kite with lineatus features tagged on Crete and telemetrically tracked during the next two years moved to the south-western part of Russia during the next two summers, but did not breed. It spent the following two winters at the same landfill in south-western Turkey. It seems that an adaptation to food sources provided by municipal waste landfills is important for black kites wintering in Europe, the Middle East and Morocco.Highlights• Hundreds to thousands of black kites are now regularly wintering in Europe.• The growing number of wintering black kites is caused by birds from a hybrid zone between Milvus migrans migrans and M. m. lineatus in eastern Europe.• Municipal waste landfills are important as food sources for black kites wintering in Europe.

Vultures are among the most threatened avian taxa in the world. When vultures aggregate in large numbers to feed, poisoned carcasses can extirpate entire populations at once. In the light of shrinking numbers worldwide, restocking and reintroduction projects, where wild or captive-bred vultures are released back into nature, constitute a crucial management tool, successfully implemented in many countries. However, reestablishment of sustainable vulture populations to their historical ranges remains a serious challenge, especially if the threat of poisoning persists, which is usually the case. In this study, we model the outcome of a restocking project where an initial colony is subject to repeated poisoning events. We use as an example the isolated population of the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Cyprus. Mathematical considerations and model simulations show that the probability of colony persistence depends on the initial population size and the intensity and frequency of the poisoning incidents. This type of scenario creates an Allee effect that requires a colony to exceed a minimum size in order to survive. Also in this scenario, a sequence of small but frequent poisoning episodes is worse on average than a few large and rare ones of the same cumulative mortality. Future population reinforcement efforts for vultures should focus on the release of adult birds in adequate numbers for the successful establishment of sustainable colonies and should involve a reduction in small but persistent sources of mortality such as the poison baiting of small canids that until now has been neglected by conservation scientists.

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multifactorial, wide-spectrum liver disorder. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is characterized by an increase in the number and/or type of colonic bacteria in the upper gastrointestinal tract. SIBO, through energy salvage and induction of inflammation, may be a pathophysiological factor for NAFLD development and progression. Aim/Methods: Consecutive patients with histological, biochemical, or radiological diagnosis of any stage of NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver [NAFL], non-alcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH], cirrhosis) underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. Duodenal fluid (2cc) was aspirated from the 3rd–4th part of duodenum into sterile containers. SIBO was defined as ≥103 aerobic colony-forming units (CFU)/mL of duodenal aspirate and/or the presence of colonic-type bacteria. Patients without any liver disease undergoing gastroscopy due to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) comprised the healthy control (HC) group. Concentrations (pg/mL) of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 were also measured in the duodenal fluid. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the prevalence of SIBO in NAFLD patients, while the comparison of SIBO prevalence among NAFLD patients and healthy controls was a secondary endpoint. Results: We enrolled 125 patients (51 NAFL, 27 NASH, 17 cirrhosis, and 30 HC) aged 54 ± 11.9 years and with a weight of 88.3 ± 19.6 kg (NAFLD vs. HC 90.7 ± 19.1 vs. 80.8 ± 19.6 kg, p = 0.02). Overall, SIBO was diagnosed in 23/125 (18.4%) patients, with Gram-negative bacteria being the predominant species (19/23; 82.6%). SIBO prevalence was higher in the NAFLD cohort compared to HC (22/95; 23.2% vs. 1/30; 3.3%, p = 0.014). Patients with NASH had higher SIBO prevalence (6/27; 22.2%) compared to NAFL individuals (8/51; 15.7%), but this difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.11). Patients with NASH-associated cirrhosis had a higher SIBO prevalence compared to patients with NAFL (8/17; 47.1% vs. 8/51; 15.7%, p = 0.02), while SIBO prevalence between patients with NASH-associated cirrhosis and NASH was not statistically different (8/17; 47.1% vs. 6/27; 22.2%, p = 0.11). Mean concentration of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 did not differ among the different groups. Conclusion: The prevalence of SIBO is significantly higher in a cohort of patients with NAFLD compared to healthy controls. Moreover, SIBO is more prevalent in patients with NASH-associated cirrhosis compared to patients with NAFL.

The winter months are an important part of the year for raptors as survival throughout this period is critical for the succeeding year’s population recruitment. We reveal novel insights into the wintering of kites (Milvus spp.) on the Mediterranean island of Crete, Greece. We use a combination of 1) direct field observations, 2) online photograph searches and 3) analysis of satellite telemetry data from a tagged hybrid Red Kite × Black Kite (Milvus milvus × M. migrans migrans). The number of observations of wintering kites has increased since 1998. The wintering of numerous Black Kites with morphological features of both subspecies (M. migrans migrans and M. migrans lineatus) and a hybrid Red Kite × Black Kite is a new phenomenon on Crete.

Aquila chrysaetos and Aquila fasciata are two congeneric eagle species distributed in the Mediterranean region which are supposed to compete for similar breeding and foraging resources. In the present study, bioclimatic, topographic, and human-related habitat parameters were investigated for 64 and 75 nest sites of Golden and Bonelli’s eagles, respectively. The nests were found during fieldwork undertaken from 1995–2020. Overall, the habitat parameters that best discriminated nest site selection were associated with elevation, temperature, and land use with topographic variables being most powerful for niche separation. Univariate analysis, regression, and species distribution modeling identified a strong association of the species with altitude pinpointing the Golden eagle’s mountainous and continental character and the Bonelli’s eagle being a lowland and coastal species. Golden eagle nests were situated away from human settlements on steep cliffs in higher altitude areas with transitional woodland-shrub vegetation. In contrast Bonelli’s eagle nests were located on low-altitude warmer zones, closer to the coast and human settlements with more natural grasslands in their vicinity. The ecological niche separation of the two species was best described by altitude and temperature, though no clear-cut evidence was detected for their competitive exclusion. Inter-specific nearest neighboring distance was found statistically significant only for the Golden eagle which seems to be less tolerant in its co-existence with the Bonelli’s eagle. Conservation measures for both species should target territories under human pressure, though more research should focus on the species range use and habitat heterogeneity within overlapping territories.

Abstract Background The banning of fisheries discards by imposing an obligation to land unwanted catch constitutes a key point of the Common Fishery Policy reform proposed by the European Commission. The effect of such a ban on discards on top marine predators such as seabirds is largely unknown, especially in oligotrophic systems of the Mediterranean. The current study investigates the presence of scavenging seabirds around fishing trawlers as well as the exploitation of discards produced by bottom trawlers in the eastern Ionian Sea. Methods On-board observations were randomly conducted in May and December 2014, in order to record the presence and use of fishery discards by two common seabird species, namely, Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) and the Yellow-legged Gull (Larus michahellis). Results A total of 3400 seabirds were counted during May of which 2190 individuals were Scopoli’s Shearwaters and 1210 were Yellow-legged Gulls. The latter species was the only scavenger observed during winter and in total, 768 individuals were counted. Differences in species abundance in the study area are related to breeding phenology and migratory movements. The number of seabirds attending bottom trawler operations during morning and afternoon hours showed no significant differences for both seabird species. Both scavenging seabirds extensively exploited fishery discards, which were mainly demersal fish, and consumed 70–80% of the total fishery discards biomass; however, they appeared to avoid poisonous species and/or large-sized fish. Yellow-legged Gulls displayed kleptoparasitic behaviour on Scopoli’s Shearwater during feeding experiments. The number of such incidents depended on the number of gulls around the fishing vessel, with more than 90% success rates. Conclusions Considering the average annual biomass of discards estimations and the consumption rate found in this work, 106.1–117.9 t may be offered as a food subsidy to scavenging seabirds in the study area and should support a substantial part of local populations. Our results constitute baseline information on the annual amount of fishery discards and their exploitation rate by seabirds in the Ionian Sea, and suggest further work for a complete understanding of the potential impacts of the discards reform bill on seabirds.

Capercaillie is a species of particular conservation importance for Europe due to the observed population decline in various parts of its distribution. In the current study, the environmental and habitat requirements of the species are investigated at the southernmost range of its European distribution (Rodopi Mountain-Range National Park, northern Greece) using a set of 95 observations of species presence and a maximum-entropy (MaxEnt) modeling approach. A bioclimatic dataset derived from the Bioclim open source database and a set of environmental variables, mainly forest land-cover types and topographical variables, were employed to explain the current distribution of the species and to delineate potentially suitable areas for its distribution. The best scale per environmental variable was chosen among three different spatial scales (10 ha, 100 ha and 500 ha), in order to build a multiscale environmental model. According to our results, the species demonstrated a very narrow niche which is determined primarily by bioclimatic factors while a number of habitat requirements within a strict bioclimatic zone where also identified. It requires wet areas with mean summer temperature not exceeding 10 °C, which are only found at the higher altitudes of the National Park. Α strong tendency was also found for capercaillies to inhabit forest stands of norway spruce (Picea abies) with a minimum cover of 10% at an intermediate scale of 100 ha, followed at a larger scale i.e. 500 ha by pure beech (Fagus spp.) forests or mixed with pines (Pinus spp.), where optimum tree density ranges from 50% to 80%. Bioclimatic and environmental presence-prediction maps were reclassified in four suitability classes (unsuitable, marginal, sub-optimal, optimal), based on three Maxent thresholds (Minimum Training Presence, Fixed Cumulative Value 5 and Value 10). Monitoring the marginal climatic zone for the species and ensuring suitable habitats within it is the key for the species conservation in its southernmost part of its distribution. Keywords: Capercaillie, Rodopi Mountain-Range National Park, Habitat suitability, Optimal niche, MaxEnt

In the current study we present data collected during the last two decades on the island of Crete (Greece) regarding the nesting habitat of two sympatric species namely the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) and the Bonelli’s Eagle (Aquila fasciata). The factors that determine the species nest site selection were identified via a logistic regression model and nesting habitat suitability maps were constructed by using maximum entropy models and a Geographic Information System. At the spatial scale considered, the best predictors of nesting habitat were topographical variables such as altitude and slope indicative for the requirement of rugged terrain. The predictive maps represented by the subset of topographic variables were also able to predict nest-site selection by both species more adequately than subsets of bioclimatic or human disturbance variables. Based on the overlap of the available nesting habitat of the two eagle species, an ecological separation was detected most probably related to their diet spectrum and consequently foraging range. Compared to the Golden Eagle the Bonelli’s Eagle was found breeding on lower altitude, more often on sea cliffs or the ends of gorges and in the periphery of mountain areas. In the latter case human-induced mortality and land use changes are regarded as significant factors for the observed pattern.

This paper considers a production planning problem in disassembly systems, which is the problem of determining the quantity and timing of disassembling end-of-use/life products in order to satisfy the demand of their parts or components over a planning horizon. The case of single product type without parts commonality is considered for the objective of minimizing the sum of setup and inventory holding costs. To show the complexity of the problem, we prove that the problem is NP-hard. Then, after deriving the properties of optimal solutions, a branch and bound algorithm is suggested that incorporates the Lagrangean relaxation-based upper and lower bounds. Computational experiments are performed on a number of randomly generated problems and the test results indicate that the branch and bound algorithm can give optimal solutions up to moderate-sized problems in a reasonable computation time. A Lagrangean heuristic for a viable alternative for large-sized problems is also suggested and compared with the existing heuristics to show its effectiveness. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.jors.2602568 Published online 20 February 2008 Keywords: environmental studies; production and scheduling; optimal algorithm

This paper considers the problem of determining the disassembly schedule (quantity and timing) of products in order to satisfy the demand of their parts or components over a finite planning horizon. The objective is to minimize the sum of set-up, disassembly operation, and inventory holding costs. As an extension of the uncapacitated versions of the problem, we consider the resource capacity restrictions over the planning horizon. An integer program is suggested to describe the problem mathematically, and to solve the problem, a heuristic is developed using a Lagrangean relaxation technique together with a method to find a good feasible solution while considering the trade-offs among different costs. The effectiveness of the algorithm is tested on a number of randomly generated problems and the test results show that the heuristic suggested in this paper can give near optimal solutions within a short amount of computation time. Keywords: environmental studies; production and scheduling; heuristics

Disassembly scheduling, one of the important operational problems in disassembly systems, is the problem of determining the ordering and disassembly schedules of used or end-of-life products while satisfying the demand of their parts of components over a certain planning horizon. This paper considers products with assembly structure for the objective of minimizing the sum of purchase, set up, inventory holding, and disassembly operation costs, and suggests a two-stage heuristic, in which an initial solution is obtained in the form of the minimal latest ordering and disassembly schedule, and then improved iteratively considering trade-offs among different cost factors. To show the performance of the heuristic, computational experiments were done on the example obtained from the literature and a number of randomly generated test problems, and the results show that the heuristic can give optimal or very near-optimal solutions within very short computation times. Journal of the Operational Research Society (2004) 55, 287-297. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jors.2601690 Keywords: planning and scheduling; disassembly systems; environmental studies; heuristics