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The Mediterranean region representsone of the hotspots of biodiversity of many organisms and among these also of Raphidioptera. With about 250 known species world-wide Raphidioptera is the smallest order of extant holometabolous insects. The Mediterranean region harbors 113 species (= >45% of the world fauna), and of these 33 (= >13% of the world fauna) have been found on islands of the Mediterranean Sea. In the course of the past 50 years most of the larger islands have been intensively explored for Raphidioptera, particularly all islands (except the Baleares) which had no connection to the mainland throughout the whole Pleistocene. Altogether, 11 species of Raphidioptera (9 Raphidiidae, 2 Inocelliidae) are endemic to (usually)one, rarely to a few Mediterranean islands: Phaeostigma (Ph.) euboica (Euboea), Ph. (Aegeoraphidia) prophetica (Rhodes), Ph. (Ae.) karpathana (Karpathos), Ph. (Ae.) biroi (Crete), Ph. (Superboraphidia) minois (Crete), Subilla principiae (Sardinia), S. colossea (Rhodes), Raphidia (R.) peterressli (Chios), R. (R.) ariadne (Crete), Fibla (F.) maclachlani (Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily), F. (Reisserella) pasiphae (Crete). In the Aegean Sea there is a remarkable difference between the eastern and the western islands marked by the so-called Rechinger line based on results of the analysis of the flora. The Raphidioptera confirm this line impressively. It is rather unlikely that further Raphidioptera species endemic to Mediterranean islands are still to be detected – with one exception: the Baleares. A few additional species known from various parts of the continents surrounding the Mediterranean Sea will probably be found on islands so that a total number may be around 40, possibly around 45 species. The possible ways and times of colonization of the islands by Raphidioptera are discussed. The present paper may serve as a basis for studies on natural and particularly on anthropogenic dispersals of snakeflies from island to island, from mainland to islands, and from islands to the mainland in connection with phylogeographic investigations.

Intensive agricultural and industrial activities are often considered major sources of water contamination. Currently, riparian vegetation (RV) is increasingly being promoted as a solution to balance the potentially adverse effects that agriculture may have on water quality. Nonetheless, existing RV is often overlook in recent modelling efforts, failing to capture the current amount of ecosystem services provide. Here, we used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool ecohydrological model to simulate the influence of ground-true RV on i) nutrient (nitrate and total phosphorus) and sediment exports from agricultural areas and ii) its effect for in-stream concentrations. These results are further compared against a set of hypothetical scenarios of different RV widths and different land-uses. Our results point to a great relevance of existing RV in controlling in-stream concentration of sediments and nutrients where pressure from agriculture is highest, preventing them to surpass limits set in the EU Water Framework Directive. On the other hand, in areas with industry discharges, the role of RV is limited and model results suggest that restoring RV would have limited impacts. We illustrate how existing RV may already provide strong but not acknowledged water quality regulation services, how these services can differ substantially between nearby streams, and that effective strategies to improve water quality using RV must acknowledge existing patterns of vegetation, land use and contamination sources.

This article aimes to shed light on the rich, but rather enigmatic relationship between Finland and the Mediterranean world. These interactions have been approached since Antiquity, but this paper’s focus has been on 19th and 20th centuries and especially on the last three decades. About thirty years ago, when Finland was preparing itself to join the European Union, it also had to build up a real Mediterranean policy of its own. It was in the Corfu European Council in June 1994 when the then-president realised that the country needed such a policy. Thus, in 1995, when Finland joined the EU, it also participated in the Barcelona Euro-Mediterranean Conference and signed the Barcelona Declaration that established the Barcelona Process forming the structures for European Union cooperation with the southern and eastern Mediterranean countries. The participation into this structural process was felt important for Finland mainly for two reasons. Firstly, the country wanted to be a full and active member of the EU and thus contribute to every fi eld of activity that are important for the union. Secondly, we Finns realised that if we wanted the southern European countries to understand and to cooperate with our own ambitions in the northern part of Europe, we needed to show solidarity towards the aims and needs of our southern partners in the Mediterranean. All this resulted in Finland being surprisingly active in all Euro-Mediterranean cooperation environments. This concerned not only offi cial state activities, but also other public sectors as well as civil society actors and NGOs. These EuroMediterranean activities became so many and so multiform that we can deal only with a few of them here as examples.

International audience; In the context of global warming, a clear understanding of microrefugia—microsites enabling the survival of species populations outside their main range limits—is crucial. Several studies have identified forcing factors that are thought to favor the existence of microrefugia. However, there is a lack of evidence to conclude whether, and to what extent, the climate encountered within existing microrefugia differs from the surrounding climate. To investigate this, we adopt a “bottom-up” approach, linking marginal disconnected populations to microclimate. We used the southernmost disconnected and abyssal populations of the circumboreal herbaceous plant Oxalis acetosella in Southern France to study whether populations in sites matching the definition of “microrefugia” occur in particularly favorable climatic conditions compared to neighboring control plots located at distances of between 50 to 100 m. Temperatures were recorded in putative microrefugia and in neighboring plots for approximately 2 years to quantify their thermal offsets. Vascular plant inventories were carried out to test whether plant communities also reflect microclimatic offsets. We found that current microclimatic dynamics are genuinely at stake in microrefugia. Microrefugia climates are systematically colder compared to those found in neighboring control plots. This pattern was more noticeable during the summer months. Abyssal populations showed stronger offsets compared to neighboring plots than the putative microrefugia occurring at higher altitudes. Plant communities demonstrate this strong spatial climatic variability, even at such a microscale approach, as species compositions systematically differed between the two plots, with species more adapted to colder and moister conditions in microrefugia compared to the surrounding area

Background and aims – Species delimitation is a necessary investigation for widely distributed species. Examination of herbarium specimens and descriptions in local floras revealed that two forms of Silene villosa were recognized. Form B of S. villosa has been identified as a separate species named S. wendelboi. However, the latter species was not treated as a separate species in local floras. By using molecular tools, we investigated if these forms of S. villosa should be treated as two distinct species or be retained in S. villosa. Material and methods – We created two datasets containing 84 and 46 accessions of nrDNA ITS and cpDNA rps16 regions, respectively, which were extracted mainly from GenBank. Phylogenies were reconstructed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses. Key results – We propose that S. villosa and S. wendelboi are two separate species, morphologically and phylogenetically. Silene wendelboi was first recognized in SW Iran but we show that the species is distributed in the Persian Gulf and the E Mediterranean region as well. In most cases, S. wendelboi is erroneously identified as S. villosa in these regions. The distribution of S. villosa is much wider, also occurring in SW Asia and North Africa, Egypt, and Algeria. Silene wendelboi differs from S. villosa in calyx texture, calyx length, the ratio of calyx length to pedicel, the shape of the apex of the coronal scale, seed morphology, and molecular data, i.e. ITS and rps16 sequences. Based on those two markers, S. villosa is closely related to S. ayachica, while S. wendelboi shows affinity to S. arabica.

The main natural risk in the Mediterranean region is flooding. Therefore, in Spain, explaining this issue in Primary Education classrooms of Social Sciences should be a priority and is established as such in the current curriculum. The aims of this study are to carry out an analysis of the contents on flood risk included in the Social Science textbooks (3rd cycle; 5th and 6th) of Primary Education of the leading publishers used in Spain (Anaya, Bromera, Santillana, SM and Vicens Vives), in terms of: (1) the meaning of this phenomenon; (2) the causes and consequences of floods; and (3) an analysis of the images (catastrophism and territory location) that are included in the textbooks to explain these events. The results indicate that there is no complete definition of flood risk provided in these textbooks; the information is mainly related to the physical factor (atmospheric event). There is no specific mention of how human beings affect risk (vulnerability and exposure factor). With respect to the causes of floods, the analysis finds confusion in the explanations from the different textbooks and publishers, and the images that are included are sensationalist, highlighting the catastrophism without indicating to which territory it refers.

Disentangling the impact of Late Quaternary climate change from human activities can have crucial implications on the conservation of endangered species. We investigated the population genetics and demography of the Mediterranean monk seal (

The Lateglacial (14,700–11,700 cal BP) is a key climate period marked by rapid but contrasted changes in the Northern Hemisphere. Indeed, regional climate differences have been evidenced during the Lateglacial in Europe and the Northern Mediterranean areas. However, past climate patterns are still debated since temperature and precipitation changes are poorly investigated towards the lower European latitudes. Lake Matese in Southern Italy is a key site in the Central Mediterranean to investigate climate patterns during the Lateglacial. This study uses a multi-proxy approach including magnetic susceptibility, geochemistry (XRF core scanning), pollen data and molecular biomarkers like branched Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraethers (brGDGTs) to reconstruct climate changes and their impacts at Matese. Palaeotemperatures and -precipitation patterns are quantitatively inferred from pollen assemblages (multi-method approach: Modern Analogue Technique, Weighted Averaging Partial Least Squares regression, Random Forest, and Boosted Regression Trees) and brGDGTs calibrations. The results are compared to a latitudinal selection of regional climate reconstructions in Italy to better understand climate processes in Europe and in the circum-Mediterranean region. A warm Bølling–Allerød and a marked cold Younger Dryas are revealed in all climate reconstructions inferred from various proxies (chironomids, ostracods, speleothems, pollen, brGDGTs), showing no latitudinal differences in terms of temperatures across Italy. During the Bølling–Allerød, no significant changes in terms of precipitation are recorded, however, a contrasted pattern is visible during the Younger Dryas. Slightly wet conditions are recorded south of latitude 42° N whereas dry conditions are recorded north of latitude 42° N. During the Younger Dryas, cold conditions can be attributed to the southward position of North Atlantic sea-ice and of the Polar Frontal JetStream whereas the increase of precipitation is Southern Italy seems to be linked to relocation of Atlantic storm tracks into the Mediterranean, induced by the Fennoscandian ice sheet and the North European Plain. On the contrary, during the Bølling–Allerød warm conditions can be linked to the northward position of North Atlantic sea-ice and of the Polar Frontal JetStream.

En este artículo damos a conocer por primera vez las ocupaciones humanas del Mesolítico reciente del yacimiento de la Balma del Barranc de la Fontanella (Vilafranca, Castelló). A partir del estudio de la industria lítica, la fauna, el adorno y la sedimentología se realiza un análisis de las características de este yacimiento y se contextualiza tanto a nivel local (comarca del Maestrat/Maestrazgo) como del Mediterráneo Ibérico. Además, la comparación de las dataciones de este conjunto con el resto de los yacimientos mediterráneos permite profundizar en los debates sobre la duración de cada una de las fases y sus relaciones tanto con el Mesolítico antiguo como con la llegada del Neolítico a esta zona montañosa. Los datos obtenidos permiten concluir que La Fontanella estuvo ocupada en las dos fases del Mesolítico reciente, que posiblemente funcionó como un asentamiento secundario orientado a la caza y que una parte de la misma (los ciervos) seria transportada a otro lugar., [eng] In this article we report for the first time the human occupations of the Late Mesolithic period at the Balma del Barranc de la Fontanella site (Vilafranca, Castelló). Based on the analysis of the lithic industry, the fauna, the ornament and the sedimentology, the characteristics of this site are analyzed and contextualized both locally (Maestrat/Maestrazgo region) and within Mediterranean Iberia. In addition, comparing dates of this site with those from other Mediterranean sites we deepen in the debates over the time span of each of the phases and their relationship with both the Early Mesolithic and the arrival of the Neolithic in this high mountain area. From the data obtained, it can be concluded that La Fontanella was occupied in both phases of the Late Mesolithic and that it possibly functioned as a seco

Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a tropical fruit that has gained immense popularity worldwide due to its unique flavor, nutritional value, and numerous health benefits. The growth and maturation of avocados are influenced by various environmental and climatic factors. Temperature is one of the most critical factors, as it plays a significant role in various physiological processes of this fruit. This study aimed to investigate the effect of air temperature on avocado development and assess the harvest maturity period (determined by the dry matter content) of Fuerte, Zutano, and Hass, the most common avocado varieties, grown in Western Crete, Greece. Fruit samples collected from avocado orchards in five regions of Western Crete were subjected to dry matter analysis during the ripening period for the years 2017 to 2022. Maturation time is determined based on the EU regulation for dry matter concentration. The results of this study revealed that dry matter concentration can be affected by both very high summer temperatures and low temperatures during the ripening period. Specifically, high temperatures during the summer months can have a significant impact on avocado development and result in a reduced dry matter concentration. On the other hand, low temperatures during the maturation stage can slow down enzymatic activity and metabolic processes, resulting in delayed ripening and a prolonged time to reach optimal maturity. This delay in maturation and reduced dry matter concentration can significantly affect the harvest timing, as growers may need to wait for the avocados to develop the desired characteristics before they can be harvested. Our findings are the first data on avocado maturation (dry matter concentration) in relation to temperature and provide valuable insights into harvest maturity period of avocado cultivation in Crete and other regions with similar Mediterranean climatic conditions.

Anguilla anguilla, the European eel, is an important species for aquaculture and fisheries. Its population has dropped dramatically in recent decades, reaching an all-time low. As a result, it has been listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species since 2007. Therefore, constant population monitoring is essential to ensure the survival of this iconic species. Glass eel recruitment is declining worldwide, including the populations in the Mediterranean region. Despite the negative impact of man-made activities in Mediterranean coastal waters over the past few decades, data on spawning biomass escaping from the Mediterranean highlights the region’s importance for the global eel supply. Eel research and monitoring is done using conventional techniques, which have certain drawbacks. Therefore, the use of molecular-based detection as a credible choice for monitoring species in aquatic ecosystems was recently shown to be an effective management plan alternative. We present the first use of environmental DNA for monitoring eel populations in the Adriatic Sea and in the complex Dinaric karst freshwater ecosystem. The method has been demonstrated to be accurate and useful for detecting the presence of A. anguilla eDNA and identifying conservation areas. This is also the first study investigating the range and presence of the European eel in the Adriatic and in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as in underground karst systems, springs, and in the karst poljes of the Eastern Adriatic coast.

Cos’è la diplomazia scientifica? Qual è la sua importanza in un mondo segnato da sfide globali come il cambiamento climatico e il confronto fra grandi potenze? Quali saperi si possono mobilitare per studiare questo campo emergente di pratica e ricerca? I capitoli di questo volume offrono alcuni spunti per iniziare a rispondere a queste domande, ciascuno esaminandone un aspetto diverso, sia da un punto di vista teorico che presentando dei casi di studio sulla diplomazia scientifica «in azione». L’intento è di offrire una prima introduzione a un tema sempre più importante nelle relazioni fra scienza, società e politica, rivolgendosi a tutti coloro (studenti, ricercatori, decisori) che ad esso intendono avvicinarsi.

What is science diplomacy? Why is it important in a world marked by global challenges such as climate change and confrontation between great powers? What knowledge can be mobilised to study this emerging field of practice and research? The chapters in this volume provide initial answers to these questions, examining different aspects of science diplomacy, both from a theoretical point of view and by presenting real world case studies. The intent of the book is to offer an introduction to an increasingly important theme in the relations between science, society and politics. Consequently, it is addressed to all those (students, researchers, decision-makers) who are approaching science diplomacy for the first time.

Presenting part of theresultsWP2 of the InThemed project during the Kickoff meeting of the OurMED (PRIMA Project).

Considerations for palliative care and quality of death has significantly increased over the past 10 years in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). Recent trends in ageing and increasing chronic disease burden have drawn attention to the need to pay attention to the concept of good death and related factors from the perspective of the local population.To assess the factors related to good death in the EMR.We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and ProQuest on 22 October 2021 for English language articles, with no time limit, using keywords "quality of death", "good death", "quality of dying", "good dying", "Middle Eastern", and countries in the Region. The quality of articles was evaluated using the Hawker criterion and based on the PRISMA guidelines. From the thematic analysis, the factors influencing good death were extracted. EndNote X8 software was used for data management.The search yielded 55 articles, and 14 were included in the study, with a total of 3589 participants. Factors related to good death were classified into 2 main categories: patient preferences and end-of-life care. The former was divided into 4 groups: symptom management, psychological support, social support, and spiritual care. The second category included 2 subcategories: death control and patient autonomy, and end-of-life care.Although patients' beliefs about good death are personal, unique, and different, perception about good death in the EMR depends on the extent to which patients' preferences are met and end-of-life care is provided. More research on good death is recommended in the context of Islamic countries in EMR, and to empower patients and their families to better manage the dying process and create educational programmes.العوامل المتعلقة "بالاحتضار في سلام" في إقليم شرق المتوسط: استعراض منهجي.آرمين فريدوني، مريم رسولي، تكتم كيانيان،مریم الهی خواه، حسين سوري، شيلان عزيزي، سلمان برسته.على مدى السنوات العشر الماضية، زاد الاهتمام بالرعاية الملطِّفة وظروف الاحتضار زيادة كبيرة في إقليم شرق المتوسط. وقد لفتت الاتجاهات الحديثة في الشيخوخة وتزايد عبء الأمراض المزمنة الانتباه إلى ضرورة الاهتمام بمفهوم "الاحتضار في سلام" والعوامل المتعلقة به من منظور السكان المحليين.هدفت هذه الدراسة الى تقييم العوامل المتعلقة "بالاحتضار في سلام" في إقليم شرق المتوسط.في يوم 22 أكتوبر/ تشرين الأول 2021 بحثنا في قواعد أبحاث: PubMed، Scopus، Web of Science ProQuest، عن مقالات باللغة الإنجليزية، بدون تحديد إطار زمني، باستخدام الكلمات المفتاحية التالية: "quality of death" (ظروف الاحتضار) أو: "good death" (الاحتضار في سلام)، أو: "quality of dying" (ظروف الاحتضار)، أو: "good dying" (الاحتضار في سلام)، أو: "Middle Eastern" (شرق أوسطي) وأسماء بلدان الإقليم. وقيَّم الباحثون المقالات باستخدام معيار هوكر، واستنادًا إلى المبادئ التوجيهية للعناصر الموصى بها لإعداد تقارير الاستعراض المنهجي والتحليلات التلوية (PRISMA). ومن خلال التحليل الموضوعي، استُخرجت العوامل التي تؤثر على “الاحتضار في سلام”. وأُديرَت البيانات ببرنامج EndNote X8.أسفر البحث بالكلمات الرئيسية عن 55 مقالة، وأدرجت 14 منها في الدراسة، ولقد بلغ مجموع المشاركين فيها 3589 مشاركًا. وصُنفت العوامل المتعلقة “بالاحتضار في سلام” إلى فئتين رئيسيتين: تفضيلات المرضى والرعاية في مرحلة الاحتضار. وبعد ذلك قُسمت الفئة الأولى إلى 4 مجموعات، هي: علاج الأعراض، والدعم النفسي، والدعم الاجتماعي، والرعاية الروحية. أما الفئة الثانية فقد اندرجت تحتها فئتان فرعيتان: التحكم في مرحلة الاحتضار واستقلالية المريض، والرعاية في مرحلة الاحتضار.على الرغم من أن اعتقادات المرضى بخصوص "الاحتضار في سلام" اعتقادات شخصية ومتفردة ومختلفة، فإن فكرة الناس في إقليم شرق المتوسط عن "الاحتضار في سلام" تعتمد على مدى تحقيق تفضيلات المرضى وتوفر الرعاية في مرحلة الاحتضار. ويُوصََى بإجراء المزيد من البحوث عن "الاحتضار في سلام" في البلدان الإسلامية في إقليم شرق المتوسط، وتمكين المرضى وأسرهم من إدارة مرحلة الاحتضار على نحو أفضل وإعداد برامج للتوعية في هذا الصدد.Facteurs liés à la bonne mort dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale : revue systématique.Les considérations relatives aux soins palliatifs et à la qualité du décès ont considérablement augmenté au cours des 10 dernières années dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale. Les tendances récentes du vieillissement et de l'augmentation du fardeau des maladies chroniques ont mis en évidence la nécessité de prêter attention au concept de bonne mort et aux facteurs associés du point de vue de la population locale.Évaluer les facteurs liés à la bonne mort dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale.Le 22 octobre 2021, nous avons effectué des recherches sur PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science et ProQuest afin de trouver des articles en anglais, sans limitation de période, en utilisant les mots clés « qualité du décès », « bonne mort », « qualité du processus de la mort », « bien mourir », « Moyen-Orient » et les pays de la Région. La qualité des articles a été évaluée à l'aide des critères utilisées par Hawker et en suivant les directives PRISMA. L'analyse thématique a permis l'extraction des facteurs influençant la bonne mort. Le logiciel EndNote X8 a été utilisé pour la gestion des données.La recherche a produit 55 articles, dont 14 ont été inclus dans l'étude, avec un total de 3589 participants. Les facteurs liés à une bonne mort ont été classés en deux catégories principales : les préférences du patient et les soins de fin de vie. La première a été divisée en quatre groupes : prise en charge des symptômes, soutien psychologique, soutien social et soins spirituels. La seconde catégorie comprenait deux sous-catégories : contrôle sur la mort et autonomie du patient, ainsi que les soins de fin de vie.Bien que les croyances des patients sur la bonne mort soient personnelles, uniques et différentes, la perception de la bonne mort dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale dépend de la mesure dans laquelle les préférences des patients sont satisfaites et les soins de fin de vie fournis. Il est recommandé de mener davantage de recherches sur la bonne mort dans le contexte des pays islamiques dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale, ainsi que de donner aux patients et à leurs familles les moyens de mieux gérer le processus de la mort et de créer des programmes éducatifs.

The World Health Organization Office for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO/EMRO), and the recently created palliative care experts network for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), decided to develop region-specific indicators for monitoring national palliative care development in the Region.To identify relevant and feasible macro-indicators for palliative care development for the EMR.Palliative care experts from the EMR were nominated and invited to complete a 2-round Delphi study to rate macro-indicators from previous studies and propose new ones based on the EMR regional characteristics. All indicators were assessed according to regional relevance (R) and feasibility (F). A content validity index (CVI) was calculated. Indicators with CVI ≥ 0.7/1, and scoring ≥ 7/9 for the R and F averages were selected.Twelve of the 22 countries in the Region were represented in the study. In the first round, 11 indicators were selected and 13 new ones proposed. In the second round, 15 indicators matched R, F and CVI criteria. Top-scored indicators were: existence of a current national palliative care strategy (R = 8, F = 8, CVI = 1); ratio of specialized services (for adults and children) in the country per population (R = 8, F = 7, CVI = 1); allocation of funds for palliative care in the national health budget by the Ministry of Health or equivalent government agency (R = 8, F = 6, CVI = 1); education for prequalification of doctors/nurses (R = 8, F = 8, CVI = 0.9); and availability of morphine and other strong opioids (R =8, F = 8, CVI= 0.9).A baseline set of 15 region-specific indicators for measuring the development of palliative care were validated by experts in the EMR.مؤشرات كلية خاصة بإقليم شرق المتوسط لتطوير الرعاية الملطّفة في: دراسة بأسلوب دلفي.ميجيل سانشيز كارديناس، إدواردو جارالدا، داني فان ستيجن، نسيم بورغازيان، سليم سلامة، ماري شارلوت بوسو، كارلوس سينتينو وشبكة خبراء الرعاية الملطِّفة لاقليم شرق المتوسط.إن مكتب منظمة الصحة العالمية لإقليم شرق المتوسط وشبكة خبراء الرعاية الملطِّفة لإقليم شرق المتوسط، التي أُنشئت مؤخرًا، قد قررا وضع مؤشرات خاصة بالإقليم لرصد تطوير الرعاية الملطِّفة في الإقليم.هدفت هذه الدراسة الى تحديد المؤشرات الكلية المهمة والمجدية لتطوير الرعاية الملطِّفة في إقليم شرق المتوسط.جرى ترشيح خبراء في الرعاية الملطِّفة من إقليم شرق المتوسط، ودعوتهم إلى استكمال دراسة بأسلوب دلفي مكونة من جولتين، لتقييم المؤشرات الكلية من الدراسات السابقة، واقتراح مؤشرات جديدة، استنادًا إلى الخصائص الإقليمية لإقليم شرق المتوسط. وجري تقييم جميع المؤشرات حسب الأهمية الإقليمية (R) والجدوى (F). كذلك جرى حساب مؤشر صحة المحتوى (CVI). ووقع الاختيار على مؤشرات ذات صحة محتوى (CVI) تبلغ ≥ 1/0.7، وتحقق ≥ 9/7 كمتوسط على مستوى الأهمية الإقليمية (R) والجدوى (F).شارك في هذه الدراسة اثنا عشر بلدًا من بلدان الإقليم البالغ عددها 22 بلدًا. وشهدت الجولة الأولى اختيار 11 مؤشرًا واقتراح 13 مؤشرًا جديدًا. أما في الجولة الثانية، فقد جرى الوقوف على 15 مؤشرًا مطابقًا لمعايير الأهمية الإقليمية (R) والجدوى (F) وصحة المحتوى (CVI). والمؤشرات التي حصلت على أعلى الدرجات هي ما يلي: وجود استراتيجية وطنية حالية للرعاية الملطِّفة (الأهمية الإقليمية (R) = 8، الجدوى (F) = 8، صحة المحتوى (CVI) = 1)؛ ونسبة الخدمات المتخصصة (للبالغين والأطفال) في البلد لكل مجموعة سكانية (الأهمية الإقليمية (R) = 8، الجدوى (7) = 8، صحة المحتوى (CVI) = 1)؛ وتخصيص أموال للرعاية الملطِّفة في ميزانية الصحة الوطنية التي تضعها وزارة الصحة أو وكالة حكومية مكافئة (الأهمية الإقليمية (R) = 8، الجدوى (F) = 6، صحة المحتوى (CVI) = 1)؛ تثقيف الأطباء/ الممرضات بشأن الاختبار المسبق للصلاحية (الأهمية الإقليمية (R) = 8، الجدوى (F) = 8، صحة المحتوى (CVI) = 0.9)؛ وتوفر المورفين والمواد الأفيونية القوية الأخرى (الأهمية الإقليمية (R) = 8، الجدوى (F) = 8، صحة المحتوى (CVI) = 0.9).تحقق الخبراء في إقليم شرق المتوسط من مجموعة أساسية تتألف من 15 مؤشرًا خاصًّا بالإقليم لتقدير تطوير الرعاية الملطِّفة.Macro-indicateurs spécifiques à la Région pour la mise en place de soins palliatifs dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale : étude Delphi.Le Bureau régional de l'Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS) pour la Méditerranée orientale et le réseau d'experts des soins palliatifs récemment créé dans la Région ont décidé de mettre au point des indicateurs spécifiques à la Région pour suivre les progrès qui y sont réalisés en matière de soins palliatifs au niveau des pays.Identifier des macro-indicateurs pertinents et réalisables pour la mise en place des soins palliatifs dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale.Des experts en soins palliatifs de la Région de la Méditerranée orientale ont été désignés et invités à participer à une étude Delphi à deux tours pour évaluer les macro-indicateurs des études précédentes et en proposer de nouveaux en fonction des caractéristiques régionales pour la Méditerranée orientale. Tous les indicateurs ont été évalués en fonction de leur pertinence (P) et de leur faisabilité (F) au niveau régional. Un indice de validité du contenu (IVC) a été calculé. Les indicateurs ayant un indice de validité de contenu supérieur ou égal à 0,7/1, et un score supérieur ou égal à 7/9 pour les moyennes P et F ont été sélectionnés.Douze des 22 pays de la Région étaient représentés dans l'étude. Lors du premier tour, 11 indicateurs ont été sélectionnés et 13 nouveaux indicateurs ont été proposés. Lors du second tour, 15 indicateurs correspondaient aux critères P, F et IVC. Les indicateurs les mieux notés étaient les suivants : existence d'une stratégie nationale au moment de l'étude pour les soins palliatifs (P = 8, F = 8, IVC = 1) ; ratio de services spécialisés (pour adultes et enfants) dans le pays par population (P = 8, F = 7, IVC = 1) ; allocation de fonds pour les soins palliatifs dans le budget national de la santé par le ministère de la Santé ou une institution gouvernementale équivalente (P = 8, F = 6, IVC = 1) ; formation pour la préqualification des médecins/infirmiers (P = 8, F = 8, IVC = 0,9) ; et disponibilité de morphine et d'autres opioïdes puissants (P = 8, F = 8, IVC = 0,9).Un ensemble de référence de 15 indicateurs spécifiques à la Région pour mesurer la progression des soins palliatifs a été validé par des experts de la Région de la Méditerranée orientale.

There is little evidence about childhood cancer burden in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR). We aimed to provide an estimate of childhood cancer burden in the EMR, examine the connection between age-standardised mortality rate and level of income (gross domestic product [GDP] per capita), and reflect on the current status of childhood cancer registration in the EMR.Using the GLOBOCAN 2020 data from the Cancer Surveillance Unit of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, we extracted data for childhood cancer (at ages 0-14 years) incidence, prevalence, and mortality for 22 countries in the EMR, the EMR as a whole, and other WHO regions, and categorised by main cancer types. Childhood cancers were classified according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. We also searched MEDLINE, Google Scholar, and the grey literature between May 17 and Aug 2, 2021, for English-language articles and reports about the status of childhood cancer registration in the EMR. We further examined the connection between age-standardised mortality rate and GDP per capita for the 22 countries in the EMR.The total estimated number of incident childhood cancer cases in the EMR was 23 847 in 2020, with an age-standardised incidence rate of 10·1 per 100 000 children at risk, ranging from 7·3 per 100 000 children at risk in Pakistan to 13·8 per 100 000 children at risk in Iran. The estimated number of incident cases was 7451 (age-standardised incidence rate 3·10 per 100 000 children at risk) for leukaemia, 3006 (1·30 per 100 000 children at risk) for brain and CNS tumours, 2222 (0·92 per 100 000 children at risk) for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 1569 (0·67 per 100 000 children at risk) for kidney cancers, and 1420 (0·58 per 100 000 children at risk) for Hodgkin lymphoma. In 2020, the number of total estimated childhood cancer deaths in the EMR was 10 535, with an age-standardised mortality rate of 4·4 (per 100 000 children at risk, ranging from 0·8 per 100 000 children at risk in Qatar to 7·2 per 100 000 children at risk in Somalia. A negative correlation was found between countries' GDP per capita (income level) and mortality rates (r=-0·77, p0·0001). The scarcity of data and quality of cancer registries in EMR countries prevented further analysis.Given the variable quality and coverage of cancer registries in EMR countries, these findings are likely to be underestimates. Nevertheless, these data, especially the high mortality rates, reflect a need for effective national childhood cancer plans in line with the WHO Global Initiative for Childhood Cancer to improve survival.Friends of Cancer Patients.

Schmallenberg orthobunyavirus (SBV), first discovered in 2011, belongs to the Orthobunyavirus genus of the Peribunyaviridae family. SBV, which predominantly infects ruminants, can cause severe fetal malformations when pregnant animals are infected during a critical phase of gestation. In this study, 1590 blood serum samples from cattle, sheep, and goats were obtained for serological investigation and 1604 specimens for virological investigation (including 1414 whole blood with EDTA, 165 vaginal swab samples from aborting animals, and tissue samples from 25 dead and/or aborted fetuses) in private and family-type ruminant establishments in Turkey's Eastern Mediterranean region. All the blood serum samples were tested for the presence of antibodies using ELISA, which showed SBV antibodies in 29.11% (95% CI: 26.89%-31.35%). The virological samples were tested using real-time RT-PCR for SBV nucleic acid presence, which showed 3.17% (95% CI:2.32%-4.04%) were positive. Finally, 10 different Culicoides species (a total of 29,156 Culicoides, including 16,005 females and 13,151 males) were tested to identify the vectors thought to carry infections in the region. However, no SBV nucleic acid was detected in the Culicoides pools.

The first record of Solenosthedium bilunatum (Lefèbvre, 1827) in Bosnia and Herzegovina is reported. Information on the known distribution of S. bilunatum in Europe is summarised.

The document reports the Milestone M2.4, which summarizes the current monitoring strategies and networks of case studies countries (Spain, Greece, Portugal, Tunisia and Turkey) and gives insightful recommendations for implementing science-driven management based on in-situ data. Data needed for detailed groundwater assessment and management are listed. Then, a brief description of the groundwater monitoring systems by function and their assessment levels are presented. Also, the current groundwater monitoring networks of the five case study countries are reviewed. Finally, recommendations towards systematic monitoring and data sharing in the case studies and beyond for the whole MED region are listed., This project is part of the PRIMA Programme supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 1923.

Historic city center regeneration in the Mediterranean region is often seen as a tool for economic development and tourism promotion. However, the success of regeneration initiatives is not only dependent on financial investments and physical interventions but also on the social, cultural, and environmental sustainability of the projects. Community participation and social inclusion are two important factors that can contribute to the long-term success of historic city center regeneration in the Mediterranean region. This paper provides an overview of the existing literature on community participation and social inclusion in historic city center regeneration and explores their role in successful regeneration projects in the Mediterranean region. The paper argues that community participation can foster a sense of ownership and collective identity among local residents and can provide valuable knowledge and resources for the planning and implementation of regeneration initiatives. Social inclusion, on the other hand, can help to ensure that the benefits of regeneration are distributed fairly and equitably among all members of the community, including marginalized and vulnerable groups. The paper provides case studies of successful historic city center regeneration projects in the Mediterranean region, including Valencia (Spain), Palermo (Italy), and Chania (Greece), to illustrate the importance of community participation and social inclusion in achieving sustainable and inclusive urban regeneration. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for more research and policy attention to be paid to these critical factors in historic city center regeneration initiatives in the Mediterranean region.

The freshwater snail genus Mercuria is widely distributed in lowland waters across Western Europe, Northern Africa and the Mediterranean islands. Approximately two-thirds of the currently recognised species are described based on their shell morphology, which may vary within species due to biotic and abiotic factors. Recent molecular phylogenies that included numerous previously documented populations recovered 14 species clades, nine of which correspond to nominal species and five, to undescribed taxa. Here, we formally describe the five undescribed taxa as new species and provide morphological descriptions of the shell and other anatomical structures for three of the other inferred clades and for the species M. maceana to elucidate their taxonomic status and assess the utility of morphological characters for species delimitation in Mercuria. Taken together, the morphological and molecular evidence suggest new identifications and synonymies, having implications on the known geographic range of the studied species, including the type species M. similis. Anatomical measurements and geometric morphometric analysis of shell shape revealed no clear differentiation among the species analysed, predicting the importance of molecular data in elucidating the species diversity of the genus., This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the research projects Fauna Ibérica [grant numbers CGL2014-53332-C5-1-P and PGC2018-095851- B-C61], a doctoral fellowship [number BES-2015-073953] granted to JPM, a postdoctoral contract [Project Number 202030E213] to JPM and the PTA2016-13213 I fellowship granted to FGG. Additional funding comes from a German Research Foundation (DFG) grant DE 2605/1-1 (to DD).

The egg parasitoid Centrodora italica Ferrière is reported for the first time from sentinel eggs of two species of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera), Pachytrachis gracilis (Brunner von Wattenwyl) and Eupholidoptera schmidti (Fieber). In Italy, only two hosts of this parasitic wasp are known, one of which is a tettigoniid species. Exposure of sentinel eggs represented a useful method to detect new host associations of this parasitoid species that can search for their host’s eggs in the ground. The parasitoids were identified by comparing our specimens with those of the type series, and the original description of C. italica.

19 páginas, 9 figuras, The pool of carbon- and nitrogen-rich metabolites is quantitatively relevant in non-foliar photosynthetic organs during grain filling, which have a better response to water limitation than flag leaves. The response of durum wheat to contrasting water regimes has been extensively studied at leaf and agronomic level in previous studies, but the water stress effects on source-sink dynamics, particularly non-foliar photosynthetic organs, is more limited. Our study aims to investigate the response of different photosynthetic organs to water stress and to quantify the pool of carbon and nitrogen metabolites available for grain filling. Five durum wheat varieties were grown in field trials in the Spanish region of Castile and León under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Water stress led to a significant decrease in yield, biomass, and carbon and nitrogen assimilation, improved water use efficiency, and modified grain quality traits in the five varieties. The pool of carbon (glucose, glucose-6-phosphate, fructose, sucrose, starch, and malate) and nitrogen (glutamate, amino acids, proteins and chlorophylls) metabolites in leaf blades and sheaths, peduncles, awns, glumes and lemmas were also analysed. The results showed that the metabolism of the blades and peduncles was the most susceptible to water stress, while ear metabolism showed higher stability, particularly at mid-grain filling. Interestingly, the total metabolite content per organ highlighted that a large source of nutrients, which may be directly involved in grain filling, are found outside the blades, with the peduncles being quantitatively the most relevant. We conclude that yield improvements in our Mediterranean agro-ecosystem are highly linked to the success of shoots in producing ears and a higher number of grains, while grain filling is highly dependent on the capacity of non-foliar organs to fix CO2 and N. The ear organs show higher stress resilience than other organs, which deserves our attention in future breeding programmes., Open access funding provided by FCT|FCCN (b-on). This study was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the projects PID2019-106650RB-C2 and PID2019-107154RB-I00, and by the Junta de Castile and León and co-financed by the European Union (ERDF) through the projects CSI260P20 and CLU-2019-05-IRNASA/CSIC Unit of Excellence. RV was supported by FCT—Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., through the GREEN-IT –Bioresources for Sustainability R&D Unit (UIDB/04551/2020, UIDP/04551/2020) and the LS4FUTURE Associated Laboratory (LA/P/0087/2020). RMP was the recipient of a FPI-INIA fellowship funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (CPD2016-0107)

This article belongs to the Special Issue Crop Tolerance under Biotic and Abiotic Stresses [Abstract] Drought is a major abiotic stress that greatly affects canola growth, production, and quality. Moreover, water scarcity is projected to be more severe and frequent as a result of climate change, in particular in arid environments. Thereupon, developing drought-tolerant and high-yielding canola genotypes has become more critical to sustaining its production and ensuring global food security with the continuing population growth. In the present study, ten canola genotypes comprising six developed tissue-cultured canola genotypes, two exotic genotypes, and two commercial cultivars were evaluated under four irrigation regimes. The applied irrigation regimes were well-watered (100% crop evapotranspiration, ETc), mild drought (80% ETc), moderate drought (60% ETc), and severe drought (40% ETc) conditions. Drought-stress treatments (80, 60, and 40% ETc) gradually reduced the chlorophyll content, relative water content, flowering time, days to maturity, plant height, number of pods, number of branches, seed yield, and oil percentage, and increased proline, phenolic, anthocyanin, and glycine betaine contents. The evaluated genotypes exhibited varied responses to drought-stress conditions. The developed tissue-cultured genotypes T2, T3, and T1, as well as exotic genotype Torpe, possessed the highest performance in all evaluated parameters and surpassed the other tested genotypes under water-deficit conditions. Overall, our findings elicited the superiority of certain newly developed tissue-cultured genotypes and exotic ones compared with commercial cultivars, which could be exploited in canola breeding under water-deficit conditions. This research was funded by the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSPD-2023R730), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia King Saud University (Riad, Arabia Saudí); RSPD-2023R730

The Mediterranean Sea is recognized as a key component in the development, economy, and culture of European, North African, and Middle East countries. With respect to heterogeneity across the region in different sectors, Ocean Literacy, though still in its infancy, is nevertheless a requisite for a better understanding of the two-way interaction between the Sea and its people. In the present study, marine issues in relation to the content knowledge of 154 high school students from the Mediterranean region were investigated by using a structured questionnaire based on the recently published Mediterranean Sea Literacy guide. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics to portray frequencies and knowledge scores of the participants, and inferential statistics to assess the effects of grade level on students’ knowledge. The study which focused for the first time on the unique features of the Mediterranean marine ecosystems, found the level of content knowledge of the participants to be low to moderate. It is therefore of the utmost importance for the organizations and networks working on marine issues in the Mediterranean Sea to develop synergies and coordinate research programmes to broaden engagement with human societies in the region.

Ground-cover vegetation attracts and harbors beneficial insects to the agrosystem, playing an important role in conservation biological control. Integrated pest management (IPM) program guidelines recommend the implantation of sowed or resident wild covers in perennial crops. Given the high-quality fruit requirements, even in IPM programs, insecticides can be required in citrus crops. This study presents, over a year, the levels of neonicotinoids (thiamethoxam and imidacloprid) in not-target ground-cover wildflowers growing spontaneously in citrus orchards after foliar treatment of citrus trees. The presence and persistence of these neonicotinoids in different wildflower species were studied. Concentrations of thiamethoxam and imidacloprid in whole wildflowers ranged from −1 and from −1, respectively. Thiamethoxam was more frequently detected than imidacloprid. Thiamethoxam and imidacloprid were detected up to 336 and 230 days after treatment, respectively. The highest detection frequencies (100%) and highest thiamethoxam and imidacloprid mean concentrations (26.0 ± 7.3 ng g−1 and 11.0 ± 10.6 ng g−1, respectively) occurred in wildflowers collected 9 days after the treatments. Since application, a clear decrease in the concentration of both compounds and differences in the accumulation depending on wildflower species were observed. Cross contamination was detected, indicating a transport from adjacent treated plots. Maintaining a cover crop in citrus orchards may lead to detrimental effects on non-target arthropods if these neonicotinoid compounds are used for pest control since they can entail a chronic exposure during at least 230 days for imidacloprid and 336 days for thiamethoxam.

This essay focuses on the topic of the emergence of Christianity and Judaism as related but distinct religious traditions, as an example of a process of religious and cultural change, which has had an enormous impact on Western and other societies around the world. At the heart of this question lies what appear to be contradictions between normative practices in antiquity and those we know of today, leading us to consider the historical and hermeneutical issue of continuity and change over time; its how, when and why. Rejecting the idea that theological differences between Judaism and Christianity necessitated a ‘parting of ways’ between them, it is argued that social, political and colonial decision-making was essential to this process, and that, furthermore, a historical focus on institutional realities in the ancient Mediterranean world, including in Jewish society, will challenge many long-held assumptions about the origins not only of Christianity but also of Judaism. The general historical reconstruction offered is then applied to a specific archaeological site, Capernaum, showing how traces of the larger pattern of development from the first to the fifth century CE may be seen in the histories of two buildings in this town.

Este artículo está sujeto a una licencia CC BY 4.0, Precipitation is a key climate parameter of vegetation and ecosystems in the Iberian Peninsula. Here, we use a regional pollen–climate calibration model and fossil pollen data from eight sites from the Atlantic coast to southern Spain to provide quantitative reconstructions of annual precipitation trends and excursions and their regional patterns for the last 11 700 years. The Early Holocene (11 700 to 11 000 cal. a BP) was characterized by high precipitation values followed by a slowly declining trend until about 9000 cal. a BP in the south and about 8000 cal. a BP in the north. From 8000 to 6000 cal. a BP the reconstructed precipitation values are the highest in most records, especially in those located in the Mediterranean climatic region in the southern part of the peninsula, with maximum values nearly 100% higher than the modern reconstructed values. The results suggest a declining precipitation during the Late Holocene in the south, with a positive excursion at around 2500 cal. a BP, while in the north precipitation remained high until 500 cal. a BP. However, the Late Holocene climate reconstructions in the Iberian Peninsula are biased by intensifying human impact on vegetation. The statistical time series analyses using SiZer technique do not indicate any statistically significant high-frequency drought events in the region. In general, our results suggest regional differences in the precipitation patterns between the northern and southern parts of the peninsula, with a more distinct Middle Holocene period of high humidity in the south., This research has been funded by the Academy of Finland (GRASS and HiDyn projects), by the European Research Council (project YMPACT), and through the REDISCO-HAR2017-88035-P (Plan Nacional I + D+I, Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness), RTI2018-101714-B-I00 (Spanish government), B-RNM-404-UGR18 (ERDF- Andalusian Government) and P18-RT-4963 (Andalusian Government).

South-Eastern Spain is a key locality of the Western Mediterranean to unravel the origin of post-collisional magmatism and its relationships with the multi-stage evolution of the upper mantle in complex geodynamic settings. This study is focused on the Plio-Pleistocene post-collisional intraplate-like alkali basalts cropping out in the Tallante area (South-Eastern Spain) that are erupted in a region previously characterised by subduction related calc-alkaline to ultrapotassic (i.e., lamproitic) volcanism. Tallante alkali basalts represent a volcanic episode similar to other contemporary small volume intraplate volcanic occurrences of Western-Central Europe and North Africa, which are believed to derive from a Common Mantle Reservoir characterising the entire Circum Mediterranean asthenosphere. We report new major, trace element, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data on Tallante alkali basalts, showing compositions broadly similar to the other mafic volcanic rocks derived from the Common Mantle Reservoir and thus suggesting an asthenospheric component similar to other European within plate volcanic rocks. On the other hand, specific trace element ratios, such as Ce/Pb, Nb/U, Th/Yb, along with delta207Pb/204Pb and 87Sr/86Sr, clearly indicate the involvement of an enriched, subduction-related component, with a lamproitic geochemical and isotopic flavour. The trace element ratios suggest that low melting degree magmas from the Common Mantle Reservoir infiltrated and triggered melting of the strongly metasomatised sub-continental lithospheric mantle, which produced the lamproitic magmas previously erupted in the same area. The proposed origin of Tallante alkali basalts, located along a large scale left-lateral strike-slip fault, is consistent with analytical, numerical and laboratory models indicating that narrow subduction zones such as the Gibraltar Arc are characterised by mantle inflow around the slab edges determining upwelling and adiabatic melting of the asthenospheric mantle through slab tears.

Health promotion and education (HPE) is a valuable component of initiatives to improve health and prevent disease in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR).To assess the type and scope of HPE interventions in the EMR and analyze lessons learned.A rapid review was conducted using a PICOS (participants, interventions, comparisons, outcomes and study approaches) framework guiding approach.We identified a growin interest in HPE approaches in the EMR, with the majority of studies published within the past five years. Few high-quality studies were identified. Formative research predominated with nearly half of the studies recommending the need toscale up HPE interventions. There was little emphasis on implementation and evaluation of priority HPE interventions.The findings highlight the need to: (1) up-scale resource-efficient HPE interventions; (2) implement HPE programmes addressing noncommunicable disease priorities; and (3) capacity building to operationalize high-quality interventions and evaluations.تدخلات تعزيز الصحة/التثقيف الصحي في إقليم شرق المتوسط: استعراض سريع للدلائل.طاهر ترك، واثق خان.يمكن أن يكون تعزيز الصحة والتثقيف الصحي من العناصر القيمة لمبادرات تعزيز الصحة والوقاية من الأمراض في إقليم شرق المتوسط.هدفت هذه الدراسة إلى تقييم نوع التدخلات المعنية بتعزيز الصحة والتثقيف الصحي ونطاقها في إقليم شرق المتوسط، وجمع الدروس المستفادة.هدفت هذه الدراسة الى اجراء استعراض سريع باستخدام الأساليب التوجيهية لإطار "PICOS" (المشاركين والتدخلات والمقارنات والنتائج وأساليب الدراسة).ازداد الاهتمام بأساليب تعزيز الصحة والتثقيف الصحي في إقليم شرق المتوسط، إذ نُشرت معظم الدراسات خلال السنوات الخمس الماضية. وتم تحديد عدد قليل من الدراسات العالية الجودة. وأوصت البحوث التكوينية، التي مثَّلت ما يقرب من نصف الدراسات، بالحاجة إلى توسيع نطاق التدخلات المعنية بتعزيز الصحة والتثقيف الصحي. كما كان هناك قصور في التركيز على تنفيذ التدخلات ذات الأولوية المعنية بتعزيز الصحة والتثقيف الصحي، وتقييمها.تؤكد النتائج على الحاجة إلى ما يلي: (1) توسيع نطاق التدخلات المعنية بتعزيز الصحة والتثقيف الصحي على نحو يتسم بالكفاءة في استخدام الموارد، (2) تنفيذ برامج تعزيز الصحة والتثقيف الصحي التي تتناول أولويات علاج الأمراض غير السارية، (3) بناء القدرات لتنفيذ التدخلات والتقييمات العالية الجودة.Interventions en matière de promotion de la santé et d'éducation sanitaire dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale : examen rapide des bases factuelles.La promotion de la santé et l'éducation sanitaire constituent un élément précieux des initiatives visant à promouvoir la santé et à prévenir les maladies dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale.Évaluer le type et la portée des interventions de promotion de la santé et d'éducation sanitaire dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale et faire la synthèse des enseignements tirés.Un examen rapide a été réalisé avec un cadre d'orientation des approches portant sur les participants, les interventions, les comparaisons, les résultats et les approches d'étude.Un intérêt croissant pour les approches de promotion de la santé et d'éducation sanitaire dans la Région de la Méditerranée orientale a été identifié, la majorité des études ayant été publiées au cours des cinq dernières années. Peu d'études de qualité ont été identifiées. La recherche formative était prédominante, près de la moitié des études recommandant la nécessité d'intensifier des interventions en matière de promotion de la santé et d'éducation sanitaire. La mise en oeuvre et l'évaluation des interventions prioritaires de promotion de la santé et d'éducation sanitaire ont fait l'objet d’une attention limitée.Les résultats soulignent la nécessité : 1) d'intensifier les interventions efficaces en termes de ressources en matière de promotion de la santé et d'éducation sanitaire ; 2) de mettre en oeuvre des programmes de promotion de la santé et d'éducation sanitaire visant à répondre aux priorités relatives aux maladies non transmissibles ; et 3) de renforcer les capacités pour appliquer des interventions et des évaluations de qualité.

Background The increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has some major implications on many countries to achieve universal health coverage. This study aimed to investigate the implementation of Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS), which is used to assess the risk factors of NCDs among children and adolescents in the eastern Mediterranean region (EMR). Methods This study was a meta-analysis and systematic literature review of 2001–2018 published studies, which were found by searching PubMed, Google Scholar, WHO, and CDC databases. In this study, the target group was students aged between 13 and 17 years old. GSHS implementation as well as risk factors of NCDs were compared across different countries. The random-effect model for meta-analysis was considered at 95% confidence interval. Result In the EMR, 19 countries have implemented GSHS at least once following the survey manual (37 surveys). Overall, 201,795 students were included in our analysis. The overall estimation prevalence rateof the overweight was 24.5% (20.6–28.8), obesity was 7.3% (5.4–9.5), insufficient physical activity was 82.4% (80.7–84.1), tobacco usage was 14.3% (10.53–18.67), and smoking was 9.6% (8.1–11.3), respectively. Among those aged 13 to 17 years old, these rates were estimated as 19.8 (13.2–27.3), 9.7 (6.2–14.0), 86.1 (84.1–87.9), 17.8 (11.8–24.7), and 11.5 (9.4–13.8), respectively. Conclusion GSHS has been widely implemented across EMR countries. Using nationally representative data, the results show that more efforts are needed to target the NCDs risk factors among adolescents in the region.

The study of electoral system reform is often focused on consolidated democracies. This special issue on electoral reforms in the Mediterranean region selects both consolidated democracies and moderate authoritarian systems. It analyses reforms under the aspects of how they deal with the dilemma between improving ‘governability’ by majoritarian instruments versus increasing proportionality of representation. While governability also depends on other factors, public debates are frequently structured along this dichotomy, which also affects the outcome of the reform process. The Mediterranean focus reflects the higher degree of reform activities in this policy area (for instance compared to the Nordic countries), which helps to focus on drivers, scope, direction, and vested interests of electoral reforms.

Funding Information: This study was supported by FCT (Project TickGenoMi, reference PTDC/SAU-PAR/28947/2017). Funding Information: The digitalization of Acarologia papers prior to 2000 was supported by Agropolis Fondation under the reference ID 1500-024 through the « Investissements d’avenir » programme (Labex Agro: ANR-10-LABX-0001-01) Publisher Copyright: © 2023, Les Amis d'Acarologia. All rights reserved. Ixodes ricinus is an important vector of several human and veterinary infectious agents. Its wide geographical distribution and permissive feeding behaviour have prompted earlier studies on its population genetics. Results were, nevertheless, not conclusive. Furthermore, no research has fully focused on the south-western distribution range of I. ricinus, where exchanges between European and North African populations are more likely to occur. The presence of an additional species, Ixodes inopinatus, in the area further confuses the topic, as the two species are hard to differentiate morphologically. The present work describes the testing of microsatellite markers previously described for I. ricinus using Portuguese and Tunisian tick populations of both species. In addition, new microsatellite loci were developed to complement the available marker toolbox. Loci showed different amplification successes across subpopulations, with Tunisian DNA less readily amplified. Altogether, 15 loci were considered suitable for genetic analyses of Portuguese subpopulations, 10 for Tunisian samples, and seven, common to both populations, were considered to be informative at the inter-continental level. A preliminary analysis of both datasets revealed two isolated populations, which can correspond to two different species. Furthermore, Tunisian specimens identified by sequencing of 16S rDNA as having I. ricinus or I. inopinatus sequence profiles all clustered together in one single population using the proposed microsatellites. This confirms that taxonomic decisions based only on 16S rRNA gene sequencing can be misleading. The application of the proposed set of microsatellite markers to a larger sample, representative of the south-western Ixodes’ distribution range, will be crucial to clarify the distribution of both species. publishersversion published

60th MPU Anniversary Special Section., Xylella fastidiosa is a major transboundary plant pest, causing severe socioeconomic impacts. Development of preventive strategies and methods for surveillance, early detection, monitoring, and accurate diagnosis of X. fastidiosa and its vectors, are keys to preventing the effects of this plant pathogen, and assist timely eradication or optimisation of containment measures. This review focuses on approaches for early detection of X. fastidiosa in the Mediterranean Basin, including development of climatic suitability risk maps to determine areas of potential establishment, and epidemiological models to assist in outbreak management through optimized surveillance and targeted responses. The usefulness of airborne hyperspectral and thermal images from remote sensing to discriminate X. fastidiosa infections from other biotic and abioticinduced spectral signatures is also discussed. The most commonly used methods for identifying X. fastidiosa in infected plants and vectors, and the molecular approaches available to genetically characterize X. fastidiosa strains, are described. Each of these approaches has trade-offs, but stepwise or simultaneous combinations of these methods may help to contain X. fastidiosa epidemics in the Mediterranean Basin., Some of the research presented in this review was funded by the following projects: BeXyl (Beyond Xylella, Integrated Management Strategies for Mitigating Xylella fastidiosa impact in Europe; grant ID 101060593, from European Union’s Horizon Europe ‘Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment’ Programme); XF-ACTORS (Xylella fastidiosa Active Containment Through a Multidisciplinary-Oriented Research Strategy; grant 727987, from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Research Programme); POnTE (Pest Organisms Threatening Europe; grant ID 635646, from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Research Programme); E-RTA2017-00004-C06-02 (Desarrollo de estrategias de erradicación, contención y control de X. fastidiosa en España) from ‘Programa Estatal de I+D+I Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad of the Spanish Government AEI-INIA Spain’ and the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofesional; Project P18-RT-4184 from Junta de Andalucia and the European Regional Development Fund; and the Intramural Project 201840E111 and the Thematic Interdisciplinary Platform on X. fastidiosa (PTI Sol-Xyl) from CSIC.

Overuse of N fertilizers in crops has induced the disruption of the N cycle, triggering the release of reactive N (Nr) to the environment. Several EU policies have been developed to address this challenge, establishing targets to reduce agricultural Nr losses. Their achievement could be materialized through the introduction of fertilizing innovations such as incorporating fertilizer into soils, using urease inhibitors, or by adjusting N inputs to crop needs that could impact in both yields and environment. The Murcia region (southeastern Spain) was selected as a paradigmatic case study, since overfertilization has induced severe environmental problems in the region in the last decade, to assess the impact of a set of 8 N fertilizing alternatives on crop yields and environmental Nr losses. Some of these practices imply the reduction of N entering in crops. We followed an integrated approach analyzing the evolution of the region in the long-term (1860-2018) and considering nested spatial- (from grid to region) and systems scales (from crops to the full agro-food system). We hypothesized that, even despite reduction of N inputs, suitable solutions for the abatement of Nr can be identified without compromising crop yields. The most effective option to reduce Nr losses was removing synthetic N fertilizers, leading to 75% reductions in N surpluses mainly due to a reduction of 64% of N inputs, but with associated yield penalties (31-35%). The most feasible alternative was the removal of urea, resulting in 19% reductions of N inputs, 15–21% declines in N surplus, and negligible yield losses. While these measures are applied at the field scale, their potential to produce a valuable change can only be assessed at regional scale. Because of this, a spatial analysis was performed showing that largest Nr losses occurred in irrigated horticultural crops. The policy implications of the results are discussed.

Anatextrix monstrabilissp. nov. (Araneae: Agelenidae) is described and illustrated, based on male and female specimens collected from Adana Province, Türkiye. The new species has an L-shaped male palpal femur bearing multiple apophyses, which is a rare trait in spiders. Anatextrix monstrabilissp. nov. is the second species of the recently described genus Anatextrix Kaya, Zamani, Yağmur & Marusik, 2023, currently known only from southern Türkiye.

Recurrent fires can impede the spontaneous recruitment capacity of pine forests. Empirical studies have suggested that this can lead to a prolonged replacement of pine forest by shrubland, especially if shrub species are pyrophytic. Model-based studies, however, have suggested that post-fire succession of pine forest under current climatic conditions will eventually tend towards the dominance of oaks under high fire severity and recurrence. These previous modelling studies did not address the role of the various post-fire regeneration traits of the understory shrub species. Considering the dichotomy of obligate seeder vs. resprouter species, either obligate or facultative resprouter, we hypothesized that when the shrubs present are post-fire seeders, the oaks steadily occupy the forest, whereas resprouter shrub species might compete with oaks and delay or arrest post-fire succession. To test this hypothesis, we developed a dynamic, cellular automaton model for simulating post-fire successional transitions in pine forests, including shrubs, pines and oaks, and stochastic fires of regular frequency. Our results showed a strong tendency towards oak dominance as final model state and a very reduced role of fire recurrence in this final state, with low yearly acorn input delaying oak dominance. Most relevantly, and in line with our hypothesis, the trend towards oak dominance depended markedly on the two types of shrub species, being delayed by resprouter species, which extended the shrub-dominated succession stage for several centuries. Our simulation results supported the view that the type of understorey species should be a key consideration in post-fire restoration strategies aiming to enhance fire resilience. This research has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under the grant agreement no. 283068 (CASCADE project). Thanks are due to FCT/MCTES for the financial support to CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020+UIDB/50017/2020), through national funds and the post-doctoral research contract of Jacob Keizer (FCT-IF/01465/2015), and to the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for financial support (CGL2017-89804-R) of the work of Susana Bautista. The work of Paula Maia was partially supported by the project SuSPiRe (PTDC/ASP-SIL/30983/2017) funded by FCT, through COMPETE2020—Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalização (POCI).

Angesichts des russischen Krieges gegen die Ukraine und der gefährdeten Energie­versorgung Europas gewinnt der östliche Mittelmeerraum wieder an politischer Aufmerksamkeit. Im Fokus stehen dabei einerseits bisher unerschlossene Erdgas­vorkommen und andererseits Perspektiven für eine zukünftige Versorgung mit grünem Strom und Wasserstoff. Doch die Konflikte Griechenlands und der Republik Zypern mit der Türkei bedrohen die Zusammenarbeit auf allen Ebenen. Die EU steht vor einer dreifachen Herausforderung: Sie muss das kurzfristige Problem der Energie­sicherheit mit der langfristigen Aufgabe der Energiewende zusammendenken, ihren beiden Mitgliedstaaten Griechenland und Zypern zur Seite stehen und gleichzeitig prüfen, inwieweit eine Einbindung der Türkei in laufende und künftige Projekte der regionalen Energiekooperation gelingen bzw. deeskalierend wirken kann. (Autorenreferat)

The first record of Zelus renardii Kolenati, 1857 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) for the Italian island of Pianosa is reported. Additional information on the finding is given.

National cancer control planning is crucial for countries in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region. This region is challenged with an increase in cancer incidence leading to substantial disease burden, premature deaths, and increasing health-care costs in most countries. Huge inequity in cancer control planning and implementation exists between and within the countries. Over half of the countries (12 [55%] of 22) have standalone comprehensive National Cancer Control Plans and six (27%) have non-communicable disease plans that include cancer. The implementation of cancer plans has common challenges related to weak governance structure, few coordination mechanisms within countries, and inadequate human and financial resources. In most countries, the plan is not costed. Yet, the majority of countries (20 [91%]) reported having fully or partially funded plans. Additionally, political instability and conflicts affecting over half of the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region have enormously affected cancer planning and implementation, both among the affected countries and those that host large numbers of refugees. In this Policy Review, we used the WHO regional framework for action on cancer to systematically analyse the status of cancer control planning and implementation across the six domains of cancer control, from prevention to palliation. We highlight the gaps, and the opportunities for bridging these gaps, to achieve scale-up on implementation of cancer control programmes in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

In acknowledgment of the devastating consequences of environmental deterioration, the Mediterranean members are committed to adopt the 2015 treaty action plans of the Paris Climate Agreement (COP21) as carbon dioxide emission (CO2) are on the rise in the Mediterranean region, which seems to be a serious challenge to our world’s environment. To this end, our study examined the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on environmental degradation for the Mediterranean members for the period between 1995 to 2016. However, variables such as, financial development, economic growth, renewable energy and fossil fuel were further examined by the use cross-sectional-Panel pooled Auto Regressive Distributed Lag methodology, Augmented Mean Group (AMG) and Dumitrescu and Hurlin panel causality test was used for causality analysis. The co-integration results from Westerlund (2007) shows a long-run equilibrium relationship between highlighted variables. The empirical result revealed a negative relation between FDI and CO2 indicating pollutant Hallo Hypothesis (PHH). Moreover, income and its square show an inverted U-Shaped curve indicating environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis. Both financial development and renewable energy indicated an adverse association with CO2 emission whereas fossil fuel had a positive relationship with emissions. However, there was a feedback causality among income and carbon emission as well as financial development and carbon emission. Furthermore, we observe that FDI and carbon emission, renewable energy and carbon emission, as well as fossil fuel and carbon emission were found to have one-way causal relationship. Overall, the study suggests some policy prescriptions including the implementation of conservation initiatives and the establishment of clean energy regulation and strategies for the investigated bloc.

Although the role played by phylogeny in the assembly of plant communities remains as a priority to complete the theory of species coexistence, experimental evidence is lacking. It is still unclear to what extent phylogenetic diversity is a driver or a consequence of species assembly processes. We experimentally explored how phylogenetic diversity can drive the community level responses to drought conditions in annual plant communities. We manipulated the initial phylogenetic diversity of the assemblages and the water availability in a common garden experiment with two irrigation treatments: average natural rainfall and drought, formed with annual plant species of gypsum ecosystems of Central Spain. We recorded plant survival and the numbers of flowering and fruiting plants per species in each assemblage. GLMMs were performed for the proportion of surviving, flowering, fruiting plants per species and for total proportion of surviving species and plants per pot. In water limited conditions, high phylogenetic diversity favored species coexistence over time with higher plant survival and more flowering and fruiting plants per species and more species and plants surviving per pot. Our results agree with the existence of niche complementarity and the convergence of water economy strategies as major mechanisms for promoting species coexistence in plant assemblages in semiarid Mediterranean habitats. Our findings point to high phylogenetic diversity among neighboring plants as a plausible feature underpinning the coexistence of species, because the success of each species in terms of surviving and producing offspring in drought conditions was greater when the initial phylogenetic diversity was higher. Our study is a step forward to understand how phylogenetic relatedness is connected to the mechanisms determining the maintenance of biodiversity.

The relevance of the issues raised in the article is related to the active return of Russia to the Mediterranean region, as well as the international political transformations taking place in it. The purpose of the article is to identify the historical foundations, current state and strategic prospects of Russias presence and international influence in the Greater Mediterranean region. The article is based on the methodology of critical geopolitics, historical and comparative approaches, which critically analyze the geopolitical structures of the region, built in the interests of various regional and extra-regional political forces. The historical material of the ancient, medieval, new and modern periods in the history of the macro-region is used, including the poorly studied times of the Mongol presence on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Scientific works on the history, geography and international relations in the region, written in the 18th - 19th centuries, as well as modern scientific information on the trends of technological, infrastructural and political development of the Mediterranean region are introduced into scientific circulation. An important element of the article is the thesis about the special role of Russia in the Pacific-European (Eurasian) transit. From the authors point of view, it includes not only the full implementation of Russias transport and logistics potential in the macro-region, but also the transfer of modern technologies, as well as the promotion of the formation of sustainable political regimes. As a result, a conclusion is made about the deep historical foundations of Russias presence and influence in the region, its strategic prospects are justified, and the main directions of our countrys international activities in the Mediterranean region are highlighted. An important conclusion of the article is the thesis about the need for a multilateral balanced approach to solving macro-regional problems.

The first record of Zelus renardiii Kolenati, 1857 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) for Bulgaria is reported. This record extends the known European distribution of the species.

The first records of Sphedanolestes pulchellus (Klug, 1830) for Morocco are reported. Information on the known distribution of this species, mainly present in the Mediterranean Region, is summarized.

The Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) is considered among the world’s most vulnerable to the dire impacts of climate change. This review paper aims at (1) characterizing climate change in countries of the EMR; (2) examining the potential effects of climate change on the nutritional and health status of the population; and (3) identifying the most vulnerable population groups. The paper explored several climate change indicators including daily temperatures, extreme temperature, daily precipitation, extreme precipitation (flooding, drought, storms, etc.), humidity, CO2 concentrations and sea surface temperature in EMR countries. Findings suggest that climate change will exert a significant adverse effect on water and food security and showed that the nutritional status of the population, which is already characterized by the triple burden of malnutrition, is likely to worsen via three main pathways mediated by climate change, namely, its impact on food security, care and health. Women, infants, children, those living in poor households and those experiencing displacement will be among the most vulnerable to the nutritional impacts of climate change. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations from the Initiative on Climate Action and Nutrition, which can support the region in tackling the critical nexus of climate change and nutrition.