Search Results (1,173)

Introduction: Longlines are traditional fishing gear and are widely used in marine systems for both quantitative and qualitative sampling of large predators like tuna, swordfish, sailfish, marlin or sharks. This highly selective method has been applied for the sampling of European catfish (Silurus glanis), the largest freshwater fish in Europe. This apex predator is a highly valuable fish species in its native localities of Central and Eastern Europe (commercial fishing, anglers’ trophy fishing, biomanipulation purposes) but a dangerous alien invasive species in South and Western Europe. Objective: The efficiency and selectivity of longlines for European catfish sampling were compared with more traditional fishing methods like gillnets and electrofishing. Methodology: European catfish were sampled in native areas (Římov, Žlutice, Vrchlice, Hubenov, Lipno, Želivka reservoirs; Czech Republic) and areas of invasion (Lakes Campagna, Avigliana Grande, Maggiore; Italy; Belver, Meimoa, Cedillo reservoirs; Portugal; Iznajar, Mequinenza reservoirs; Spain) following the protocols of best catfish (Silurus glanis) capture methodologies in small and large lakes and reservoirs established for the current needs of the European Commission within the LIFE PREDATOR project. Results: The longline efficiency expressed as the proportion of individual hooks catching catfish (live baits exposed overnight) was from low to medium (5–25%; Czech reservoirs, Italian lakes, Meimoa reservoir) to very high (up to over 50%; Portuguese and Spanish reservoirs). In many water bodies, specifically in areas of invasion, catfish represented 100% of the longline catch (Campagna, Maggiore, Cedillo, Iznajar, Mequinenza). In the rest of the water bodies, the by-catch ranged from 2 to 20% with the highest values occurring in its native localities (due to the presence of large individuals of Northern pike, Esox lucius, another predatory fish in these systems). In areas of invasion, the inconsiderable by-catch was composed of other non-native predatory fish species like pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), European perch (Perca fluviatilis) or channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). Both the efficiency and selectivity of longlines were higher compared to gillnets and electrofishing, and longlines also caught larger catfish individuals. Conclusions: Longlines represent an efficient and extremely selective method for European catfish sampling, reduction and even eradication, especially in areas of invasion. Their usage, however, requires specific equipment, skills and also baits. Full article

South Asians appear to be particularly susceptible to diabetes. India hosts 18 percent of the world’s population but more than 25 percent of the world’s diabetics, and individuals of South Asian descent carry this presumed increased risk for diabetes when they emigrate to other parts of the world. One conundrum is that the epidemic of diabetes began around Calcutta (modern day Kolkata) in east India well before it appeared in the United States and Europe, and this emergence occurred despite the frequent occurrence of famines and starvation in India. Here we review the history of diabetes in India and the possible significance of high carbohydrate in low-protein diet contexts. We suggest that the circumstantial relationship between diet and a spectrum that includes diabetes associated with obesity at one end, and impaired glucose tolerance and protein malnutrition (kwashiorkor) at the other, could be significant. If the cause of type 2 diabetes in South Asians is primarily nutritional, and, as suggested by others, aggravated by starvation and famine that increased the risk for low birth weight as an additional risk factor for diabetes, these insights may together help explain an enhanced susceptibility of South Asians to diabetes. Full article

International agri-food trade and climate change interact in ways that have significant implications for supply chain resilience and food sovereignty, yet these interactions remain insufficiently understood at the level of specific traded commodities. This paper analyses European fresh orange imports over 2012–2022 using a unit value decomposition applied to FAOSTAT and Eurostat bilateral trade data, alongside a seasonal supply analysis of monthly import flows from the main exporting regions. The analysis documents a pronounced geographic reorientation of global orange production toward developing and emerging economies in North Africa, Southern Africa, and South America, many of which face documented climate-related stressors. The unit value decomposition identifies how exporter-level unit values and import share reallocations contribute to changes in regional import unit value indices. The seasonal supply analysis shows that the European orange supply depends on a tight sequence of regional exporters operating in largely non-overlapping seasonal windows, leaving limited redundancy if disruptions occur in any single supplying region. These findings provide a descriptive, origin-disaggregated account of Europe’s trade-side exposure in fresh orange supply chains. They underscore the need for product-specific monitoring tools and policy approaches that consider seasonal import dependence, supplier concentration, and the climate vulnerability of major origin regions, while recognising that the present analysis does not estimate causal climate effects. Full article

Background: The Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is foundational to logistics optimization, yet its alignment with the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains fragmented. This study conducts a strategic bibliometric audit of 301 peer–reviewed publications (1992–2025) to quantify the evolutionary progression and thematic maturity of sustainable routing research. Methods: A four–stage scientometric framework was employed, utilizing Scopus–based data retrieval, longitudinal mapping, and Python 3.14–driven text mining to visualize keyword co–occurrence networks, author collaborations, and regional research clusters. Results: Findings reveal a pronounced “Sustainability Asymmetry,” where 51.5% of studies prioritize economic efficiency, while only 2.6% address the social pillar. Additionally, social sustainability remains an “isolated island” with minimal cross–citation to the research core. Geographic analysis identifies a heavy concentration in China, the USA, and Western Europe, uncovering a critical North–South—collaboration gap. Conclusions: The study proves that while environmental themes reached maturity between 2018 and 2022, social indicators exhibit a significant maturity lag. This quantified social deficit, centered on the neglect of SDG 3 and SDG 10, mandates a fundamental paradigm shift toward a geographically inclusive and socially conscious research agenda to ensure global logistical equity. Full article

Drought and related climate features (aridity, water balance) in Romania since 1961 are well documented, but studies spanning longer periods are limited and typically rely on modelled or sparse observational data. This study presents an analysis of drought, water balance and aridity in Romania over 123 years (1901–2023), using monthly data from 156 weather stations included in the RoCliHom dataset. Drought evolution is analyzed using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI). Aridity is examined with the De Martonne Aridity Index. The non-parametric Mann–Kendall test is used for trend detection, which allows a fair comparison with previous studies on drought and aridity in Romania. Trend magnitude is calculated with Sen’s slope estimator. Our results show a clear increase in evapotranspiration as a sign of climate warming over the country since the beginning of the 20th century. Annual precipitation amount presents no major changes. Water balance has decreased in July and August at 40% and 85% of the locations, respectively. During the growing season, drought has intensified within the last seven, six and five decades, but there are no significant changes over the full period of study in this respect. We found strong negative correlations between SPEI and North Atlantic Oscillation, Northern Annular Mode and Arctic Oscillation teleconnection indices. The evolution over the 123-year period shows that the drought episodes that occurred in recent decades are not without precedent in the long-term climatic context. Full article

Background: Translating urban environmental health evidence into actionable policies remains challenging in South-Eastern Europe, where environmental epidemiology has yet to reach maturity and institutional capacity and cross-sector coordination are suboptimal. This study assessed stakeholders’ awareness, perceived roles, and prioritization of urban health challenges, alongside the barriers and evidence needs related to healthy and sustainable urban development. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between March and May 2025 among 108 stakeholders identified through a collaborative evaluation process. Participants represented national institutions, municipal actors, academia, non-governmental organizations, business, and citizens. They reported on their role and influence, and were asked to identify priority urban health problems, relevant policies and actions, perceived barriers to decision-making, and expected benefits of addressing priority problems. Results: Most respondents reported limited or moderate influence on urban decision-making. Priority problems clustered around air pollution, traffic, and land-use pressures, with climate change and heat also frequently cited. Dominant barriers included lack of coordination and policy continuity, insufficient political support, and limited funding and institutional capacity. Anticipated gains centered on improved public health, cleaner air, and citizen satisfaction, with broader quality-of-life and economic co-benefits also identified. Conclusions: Prioritized urban environmental problems are largely consistent with scientific evidence on their health impacts, though certain risk factors remain underestimated. Access to specific, actionable scientific evidence and the co-production of solutions with broad stakeholder representation are essential prerequisites for effective urban health policy and practice. Full article

African swine fever (ASF) poses a persistent and escalating threat to global swine production. To comprehensively characterize its global spatiotemporal dynamics from 1996 to 2025, we developed an integrated framework combining multi-distance spatial analysis and advanced time series forecasting, utilizing a dataset of 57,253 outbreak records. Our findings reveal a clear divergence in transmission patterns: wild boar accounted for approximately 70% of outbreaks and predominantly sustained transmission in Eastern Europe, whereas domestic pig outbreaks were largely concentrated in Southeast Asia. A pronounced epidemiological shift occurred between 2017 and 2020, during which ASF spread transitioned from a predominantly north–south axis linking Africa and the Caucasus to a broad east–west expansion across Eurasia, coinciding with rapid dissemination throughout Asia. In the Northern Hemisphere, ASF outbreaks exhibited a bimodal seasonal pattern, with peaks observed in January–March and July–August. Comparative forecasting analyses demonstrated that machine learning approaches consistently outperformed both traditional statistical and deep learning models. Among these, the random forest algorithm achieved the highest predictive accuracy, surpassing SARIMA, Prophet, XGBoost, and GRU. Collectively, these findings underscore the pivotal role of wild boar in maintaining global ASF transmission and highlight the necessity of integrated surveillance at wildlife–livestock interfaces. Furthermore, they support the application of machine learning-based approaches for improving early warning systems and enhancing the effectiveness of global ASF control strategies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, particularly in regions with delayed or incomplete implementation of population-based screening programs. Evidence describing the burden and characteristics of colorectal lesions detected through organized screening initiatives in Eastern Europe is still limited. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from a regional CRC screening program conducted between November 2020 and December 2023 in South-West Oltenia, Romania. A total of 1550 individuals aged 50–74 years underwent colonoscopic evaluation following fecal immunochemical testing or direct referral based on risk assessment. Lesion characteristics, including size, anatomical distribution, histopathological subtype, dysplasia grade, tumor differentiation, and resection margin status, were systematically analyzed. Associations between demographic variables and lesion characteristics were evaluated using appropriate statistical methods. Results: At least one colorectal lesion was identified in 63.7% of colonoscopies, with a total of 5001 lesions detected. Most lesions measured <10 mm. Serrated lesions (51.4%) and conventional adenomas (42.2%) predominated, while invasive adenocarcinoma was identified in 6.2% of cases. Increasing lesion size was significantly associated with higher-grade dysplasia, incomplete resection margins and advanced histopathological features (p < 0.05). Age showed significant associations with histopathological subtype and resection margin status, whereas male sex was linked to higher-grade dysplasia and adenocarcinoma (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study revealed a relatively high prevalence of precancerous and malignant colorectal lesions in a previously unscreened population. The strong associations between lesion size, dysplasia severity, and resection completeness underscore the importance of early detection and quality-controlled colonoscopy. These findings support the expansion of organized CRC screening programs and the integration of quality indicators to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Full article

Regulations of next-generation networks (NGNs) have played a central role in the transition from copper networks to broadband networks in Fiber to The Home (FTTH), also allowing for a reduction in asymmetries between incumbent operators and their competitors. Despite common European Union directives, telecom infrastructure development varies across countries due to differences in regulation, investment models, legacy networks, operators’ behavior, and public policies. This study analyzes the evolution of Very High-Capacity Networks (VHCNs), focusing on the implementation of FTTH in four European countries (Portugal, Spain, France, and Germany), and in South Korea. The latter was included as a benchmark in government-driven broadband development. The analysis considers key factors influencing FTTH development, including infrastructure regulation, fiber investment incentives, incumbent strategies, infrastructure sharing and co-investment, rural coverage plans, and demographic differences of each country. The results show that regulatory measures directly influence the pace of FTTH installation; but its effectiveness also depends on investment incentives, market competition, and demand factors. Portugal, Spain, and France have high FTTH coverage despite different regulatory and investment models. In contrast, Germany relied on xDSL over copper networks for a long time, causing significant delays, with an FTTH coverage rate of 42.5% and a penetration rate of only 12.3%, putting the European Union’s 2030 goal of universal 1 Gbps coverage at risk. South Korea shows that long-term public policies, demand-side incentives, and high digital adoption accelerate mass FTTH adoption and turn telecommunications infrastructure into a key driver of economic and technological development. Full article

Forest tree provenances have evolved diverse and complex mechanisms to acclimate to changes in environmental conditions. Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.), along with other European tree species, is increasingly exposed to the adverse effects of climate change, particularly prolonged drought periods and severe drought stress. Understanding the species’ capacity to acclimate to expected environmental changes requires knowledge of key functional traits linked to drought tolerance, such as leaf structure and gas exchange. To explore the acclimation mechanisms of pedunculate oak provenances to repeated drought events, a study was conducted under controlled conditions with plants from nine provenances spanning a north–south gradient across eastern Europe, from Estonia to Italy. The study consisted of two parts: first, leaf structural traits were analyzed after three years of experimentally induced drought by comparing drought and control treatments; second, both treatments were subjected to subsequent drought to analyze differences in gas exchange trait responses. Results demonstrated ecotypic differentiation among provenances in morphological, but not in gas exchange traits, suggesting that provenance adaptedness to drier habitats is more closely associated with structural than physiological traits. Provenances originating from drier habitats showed lower specific leaf area but also different acclimation to repeated drought events, including a stronger reduction in stomatal density and a smaller increase in leaf dry matter content, compared to provenances from more humid habitats. Gas exchange acclimation occurred through a shift in the strategy of photosynthesis down-regulation. These findings emphasize the importance of investigating multiple functional traits rather than focusing solely on individual key traits. Full article

Invasive alien species threaten the security of agricultural and natural ecosystems. Aethina tumida Murray, 1867, threatens bee colony health and apicultural sustainability. However, the entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser, 1955), may be a potential biocontrol agent. Models (MaxEnt and CLIMEX) were used to predict the potential global distribution of both species under climate change. The results indicated that under the current climatic conditions, both models found suitable habitats for A. tumida primarily in South America, southern Africa, and South Asia, whereas S. carpocapsae exhibited a broader global spread. Notably, CLIMEX predicted a more extensive distribution than MaxEnt for both species. The MaxEnt results indicated that North America, Europe, and central Australia are suitable habitats for A. tumida expansion in SSP245 (2050s) and SSP585 (2070s), whereas S. carpocapsae was predicted to expand into Asia, North America, and Africa in SSP126 (2090s), SSP245 (2030s), and SSP585 (2070s). The CLIMEX results indicated that under the A1B and A2 climate scenarios, highly suitable habitats for both species decreased significantly, whereas they are predicted to moderately and marginally increase markedly in the 2100s. The potential distribution of A. tumida will depend on suitable climatic conditions and the presence of host bees. These results provide a scientific basis and support in preventing or controlling A. tumida. Full article

Background: Foreign citizenship and low socioeconomic status are key determinants of health inequalities and may influence maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study aimed to assess maternal health during pregnancy and the main adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes related to labour and childbirth among women living in Trentino (Northern Italy), comparing women with Italian and foreign citizenship. Methods: A retrospective epidemiological study was conducted using data from the Birth Assistance Certificate (CedAP) database of the Autonomous Province of Trento. This study included all women who gave birth in Trentino between 2012 and 2016. Associations between citizenship and adverse outcomes were assessed using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Results: The analysis included 23,165 women, of whom 25.9% had foreign citizenship. Women with foreign citizenship showed a significantly higher risk of gestational diabetes mellitus compared with Italian women and an increased risk of extremely preterm birth (<28 weeks of gestation), particularly among women from Central and South America, Asia and Eastern Europe. Regarding labour and mode of delivery, women with foreign citizenship had a higher risk of caesarean section, especially among women from Central and South America and Africa. In terms of neonatal outcomes, infants born to women with foreign citizenship showed a higher likelihood of requiring phototherapy and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Conclusions: Significant differences were observed between immigrant and Italian women in both social determinants and maternal and neonatal perinatal outcomes. Identifying factors associated with adverse outcomes during pregnancy may help improve targeted maternal care and reduce health inequalities for both mothers and newborns. Full article

Accurate streamflow information is critical for early flood and drought warning. However, global hydrological forecasting systems are affected by residual errors in meteorological forcing, model structure, and routing, which propagate into simulated streamflow. Within the GEOGLOWS River Forecast System (RFS), ERA5 runoff biases are routed into streamflow simulations. The most effective operational bias-correction method, MFDC-QM, requires local discharge observations and cannot be applied consistently in ungauged basins. This study evaluates a pre-routing, grid-scale runoff bias-correction framework that adjusts ERA5 runoff before routing by combining Flow Duration Curve (FDC) mapping and Sparse Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) matching, using GSCD as a spatially distributed reference runoff data. Baseline GEOGLOWS RFS, pre-routing correction, and MFDC-QM were compared for 1980–2025 using 16,517 gauging stations, Kling–Gupta Efficiency (KGE), and paired significance tests. Globally, the median KGE increased modestly from 0.16 to 0.22, compared with 0.48 for MFDC-QM. Results demonstrate a clear regional dependence: pre-routing correction produced statistically significant gains in South America and Africa (p < 0.05), where ERA5 runoff exhibits stronger residual biases, but had limited effects in Europe and North America, where dense hydrometeorological networks likely impose stronger observational constraints on the underlying reanalysis. These patterns show that pre-routing correction is most valuable where residual forcing bias is large and observational constraints are limited, complementing observation-based post-processing in ungauged, data-limited regions. Full article

The genus Hydrochara (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) comprises large-bodied water beetles associated with shallow, well-vegetated freshwater habitats and is characterised by considerable taxonomic complexity. While Hydrochara caraboides is relatively well studied in western and central Europe, lineage diversity and species boundaries within the genus remain poorly resolved in eastern and south-eastern Europe. This study uses an integrative approach combining mitochondrial DNA data, morphometric analyses, and male genital morphology to investigate Hydrochara populations in continental Croatia. Specimens were collected from floodplain and lowland aquatic habitats across major river basins, morphologically identified and verified using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (16S) sequences through comparison with reference data from public databases (GenBank and BOLD). Molecular analyses confirmed the presence of H. caraboides and Hydrochara flavipes in continental Croatia. A single specimen from the upper Drava River basin (CROH030-26) formed a distinct mitochondrial lineage positioned between H. caraboides and Hydrochara dichroma in the COI phylogeny. Morphometric analyses showed extensive overlap between this specimen and H. caraboides, indicating no clear differentiation in external body size. In contrast, examination of male genitalia revealed an intermediate aedeagus morphology with transitional characters between H. caraboides and H. dichroma. Haplotype network analysis revealed a star-like structure with a dominant central haplotype shared by most H. caraboides specimens and several low-frequency variants, while the divergent specimen occupies a peripheral position, separated from the main cluster by multiple mutational steps. These results indicate that H. caraboides is a genetically heterogeneous taxon comprising multiple divergent mitochondrial lineages, suggesting that lineage diversity within this species may be underestimated. By integrating molecular and morphological evidence, this study provides new insights into the lineage diversity of Hydrochara in floodplain ecosystems of south-eastern Europe and highlights the importance of integrative approaches for resolving species boundaries and informing freshwater biodiversity conservation. Full article

V. alginolyticus (VAlg) is one of the three Vibrio species causing human vibriosis. Its presence in shellfish constitutes a potential health risk. Thus, this investigation aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of VAlg in 18,544 shellfish across geographies using standard protocols and random intercepts/mixed-effects regressions. The global VAlg prevalence in shellfish was 19.70% (95% CI: 13.54–27.75). VAlg pooled prevalence was significantly different (p < 0.0001) by shellfish type (${\chi }_{20}^2$ = 238.48), species (${\chi }_{74}^2$ = 440.34), genus (${\chi }_{51}^2$ = 414.37), VAlg detection methods (${\chi }_{10}^2$ = 150.43), nation (${\chi }_{30}^2$ = 632.27), and continent (${\chi }_4^2$ = 33.81). Europe and South America showed the highest pooled VAlg contaminated rates in shellfish (27% and 32%, respectively) but Asia had a low rate (~4%). By shellfish type, gastropods (snails) topped the list with 50%, followed by bivalves (29%). Among shellfish species, the VAlg rate declined from 67% to 5% (k ≤ 6), but with a more stable prevalence in Litopenaeus vannamei (19.02%, k = 11) and Crassostrea gigas (15.18%, k = 9). Edible oysters and clams had lower VAlg pooled rates (4–15%). Targeted culture with MALDI-TOF or species-specific qPCR detected VAlg in 100% of tested shellfish samples. By contrast, conventional phenotypic tests detected less VAlg in shellfish yielding 20% by general biochemical/API tests, 8.8% by generic PCR, and near-zero (0.3–3%) by multiplex PCR or MALDI-TOF/PCR. Both the multiplicative (${\beta }_0=-3.28\pm 3.76, F_{54;125}$ = 3.01, p = 0.001) and additive (${\beta }_0=-1.89\pm 1.47, F_{31;148}$ = 3.83, p = 0.001) interactions of nation and sample size explained 73.14% and 58.04% of the true variance in VAlg prevalence in shellfish. Other factors include detection techniques ($R^2$ = 46.59%, ${\beta }_0=-1.63\pm 0.83, F_{10;169}=11.16$, p = 0.001), nation ($R^2=37.72$ = 1.89, p = 0.006), medium $R^2$ = 19.42%, ${\beta }_0=2.24\pm 1.85, F_{15;164}$ = 1.69, p = 0.03), shellfish type ($R^2$ = 16.99%, ${\beta }_0=-3.90\pm 1.32, F_{20;159}$ = 1.34, p = 0.12), and continent ($R^2$ = 15.29%, ${\beta }_0=-1.81\pm 0.41, F_{4;175}$ = 5.90, p = 0.001). In conclusion, the study reveals substantial occurrence of VAlg in shellfish worldwide, with notable regional and species-specific hotspots. Harmonized and molecular-based surveillance of VAlg in shellfish linked to food safety criteria will be essential to manage its emerging threat. Full article