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Every year about 45 000 forest fires occur in Europe, burning half a million hectares of forests and rural lands; between 1995 and 2004, more than 4 million hectares burned in the Mediterranean Region alone. Post-fire management of burned areas has been given much lesser attention than combating or preventing fires. However, important questions raise public concern and call for sound scientific knowledge to undertake appropriate post-fire actions: e.g., how to evaluate fire damages in economical terms? How to manage burned areas? Is it possible to establish, in the long-term, less flammable and more fire resilient forests and landscapes? To address these questions, a network of researchers and practitioners working in the field of fire ecology and forest management from all around Europe has been established in the frame of "COST Action FP0701-Post-Fire Forest Management in Southern Europe", supported by the European Union Research and Technology Development Framework Program. The Action aims to: i) develop and disseminate scientifically based decision criteria for planning post-fire forest management, from the stand to the landscape level; ii) translate this scientific knowledge into management practices; iii) connect scientists and stakeholders for exchanging experiences, evaluating these practices, and putting them into practice. To achieve these objectives the scientific groups involved will a) review and summarize the current scientific knowledge on post-fire management in Europe, by gathering and evaluating the results of previous and ongoing research; b) translate this knowledge into technical recommendations, by producing thematic reports, a book on the state-of-the-art of scientific knowledge on post fire assessment, and an electronic handbook on post-fire restoration; c) disseminate this knowledge to stakeholders, practitioners and decision makers. Besides publications and a project website already active (http://uaeco.biol.uoa.gr/cost/), training schools and one major conference will be organized. Although focused on Southern Europe, the outcomes of this Action will be crucial for central and northern European countries as well, as climate change and land use changes often leading to more homogeneous and expanding forest areas are already increasing fire hazard in those regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Differential target multiplexed spinal cord stimulation (DTM SCS) was shown to be superior to conventional SCS for treating chronic low back pain (CLBP) in subjects with persistent spinal pain syndrome with previous spinal surgery (PSPS-T2) or ineligible for it (PSPS-T1). This study reports 24-month efficacy and safety of DTM SCS vs. conventional medical management (CMM) in PSPS-T1 subjects across four European countries., Methods: This is a prospective, multicenter, open-label, randomized, controlled trial with optional crossover. Subjects randomized 1:1 to DTM SCS or CMM. Primary endpoint was responder rate (% subjects reporting ≥50% CLBP relief) at 6 months. A superiority test compared responder rates between treatments. CLBP and leg pain levels, functional disability, quality of life (QoL), patient satisfaction and global impression of change were evaluated for 24 months. A Composite Responder Index (CRI) was obtained using CLBP relief, disability and QoL. Incidence of study-related adverse events evaluated safety., Results: A total of 55 and 57 subjects were randomized to DTM SCS and CMM respectively. DTM SCS was superior, with CLBP responder rates ≥80% and CLBP relief >5.6 cm (>70% reduction) through the 24-month follow-up. Improvements with DTM SCS in other outcomes were sustained. The CRI was >80% for DTM SCS through 24 months. Opioid medication intake decreased in subjects treated with DTM SCS. Most patients treated with DTM SCS felt satisfied and improved at the end of the study. Safety was congruent with other studies., Conclusion: DTM SCS is efficacious and safe during 24 months for the treatment of CLBP and leg pain in PSPS-T1 patients ineligible for spine surgery., Significance Statement: This randomized controlled trial shows that Differential Target Multiplexed SCS (DTM SCS) is an effective and safe long-term treatment for PSPS type 1 patients suffering from axial low back pain with or without leg pain and who are ineligible for spinal surgery. Currently, CMM treatments are their only option and provide limited benefits. Besides superior pain relief, DTM SCS provides significant improvements in functional disability, quality of life, high levels of satisfaction and perceived impression of change., (© 2024 The Author(s). European Journal of Pain published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Pain Federation ‐ EFIC ®.)

Background: Hypertension is considered as a main risk factor for chronic kidney disease development and progression. Thus, the control and evaluation of this disease with new software and devices are especially important in patients who suffer from chronic kidney disease., Objective: This study aimed to validate the QardioArm mobile device, which is used for blood pressure (BP) self-measurement in patients who suffer from chronic kidney disease, by following the European Society of Hypertension International Protocol 2 (ESH-IP2) guidelines., Methods: A validation study was carried out by following the ESH-IP2 guidelines. A sample of 33 patients with chronic kidney disease self-measured their BP by using the QardioArm and Omron M3 Intellisense devices. Heart rate (HR), diastolic BP, and systolic BP were measured., Results: The QardioArm fulfilled the ESH-IP2 validation criteria in patients who suffered from chronic kidney disease., Conclusions: Thus, this study is considered as the first validation using a wireless upper arm oscillometric device connected to an app to measure BP and HR meeting the ESH-IP2 requirements in patients who suffer from chronic kidney disease. New validation studies following the ESH-IP2 guidelines should be carried out using different BP devices in patients with specific diseases., (©Victoria Mazoteras-Pardo, Ricardo Becerro-De-Bengoa-Vallejo, Marta Elena Losa-Iglesias, Daniel López-López, David Rodríguez-Sanz, Israel Casado-Hernández, Cesar Calvo-Lobo, Patricia Palomo-López. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 02.12.2019.)