The Effects of Disturbance on Plant-Pollinator Interactions in the Native Forests of an Oceanic Island (Terceira, Azores).

The native biodiversity of oceanic islands is threatened by human-driven disturbance and by the growing number of species introductions which often interfere with natural ecological processes. Here, we aim to evaluate the effect of anthropogenic disturbance on plant-pollinator interactions in the native forest communities of an oceanic island (Terceira, Azores, Portugal). We found that native species predominated in preserved sites compared to disturbed ones and that the extant plant-pollinator interactions were mostly dominated by generalist species.

Simplified Internal Audits of the Welfare Quality Protocol in Dairy Farms: Are They Effective in Improving Welfare Practices?

The Welfair certificate has become an important part of food chain integrity for animal welfare assessment in several countries, relying on a rigorous audit that verifies compliance with legislation and assesses animal welfare through the Welfare Quality Protocol (WQP). Dairy cattle farmers are encouraged to conduct internal audits beforehand to self-assess the farm's animal welfare level. Since early 2023, the Welfair scheme has proposed simplified audits to shorten the time needed for internal audits.

PET-CT Imaging in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Narrative Review on Risk Stratification and Prognosis.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a heterogeneous cardiac disease and one of its major challenges is the limited accuracy in stratifying the risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Positron emission tomography (PET), through the evaluation of myocardial blood flow (MBF) and metabolism using fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake, can reveal microvascular dysfunction, ischemia, and increased metabolic demands in the hypertrophied myocardium. These abnormalities are linked to several factors influencing disease progression, including arrhythmia development, ventricular dilation, and myocardial fibrosis.

Effects of Physical Exercise on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to systematically collect, evaluate, and critically synthesize research findings on the effects of physical exercise on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN).

Method: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology for systematic reviews was adopted for this study. We searched the Medline®, CINAHL, SportDiscus, and Scopus databases to identify relevant articles published from inception to March 2024.

Endophytic Fungi of (Asteraceae): Dereplication of Crude Extracts, Antimicrobial Properties, and Identification of New Tetronic Acid Derivative Produced by .

Endophytic fungi are increasingly being recognized for their diverse metabolites that may exhibit antimicrobial properties. In our study, we isolated seven endophytic fungal strains from , which were identified as , , , , , and (with two isolates from the same species). Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the extracts was assessed, revealing that the extract from demonstrated activity against .