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Glyphosate in the Iberian Peninsula : evaluating risks to Iberian wildlife
Publication . Baptista, Catarina Jota; Marques, Gonçalo Nogueira; Gonçalves, Luísa Lima; Assunção, Ricardo; Martinez-Haro, Mónica
Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] (GlyP) is an herbicide extensively used worldwide, including the Iberian Peninsula. It is mainly used in agricultural landscapes but also in urban areas, in railways, and even in water bodies. Despite glyphosate’s large use, there is a paucity of research on its exposure and its potential effects on wildlife living treated environments. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have warned about the effects of this herbicide namely, on oxidative stress, and on liver and kidney in different taxa. Additionally, some studies also suggested endocrine disruption capacity in reptiles or genotoxicity in fish. Most of these studies have been carried out on experimental animals, in laboratory conditions, so the real exposure and potential effects on wildlife is largely unknown. In this context, this review is intended to help understand the ecological consequences that glyphosate may be exerting on wildlife that inhabit the Iberian Peninsula.
On the Scattered Islands and maritime delimitation in the Mozambique Channel: a legal and geostrategic perspective
Publication . Faria, Duarte Lynce de Faria
This article analyses the legal status and geostrategic relevance of the Scattered Islands in the Mozambique Channel, focusing on the effects on maritime delimitation and sovereignty disputes involving France, Madagascar, Mauritius, and the Comoros. A qualitative and interdisciplinary methodology is adopted, combining geopolitical analysis with a doctrinal and jurisprudential assessment of relevant international legal sources, notably Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It adopts a qualitative approach combining geopolitical analysis with a comparative legal assessment of normative sources and international case law, focusing on Article 121 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and analogous cases (Selvagens and Chagos). The study frames the subject and the relevant literature, assesses the legal nature of the formations (islands/rocks), and applies the applicable criteria to regional scenarios. It concludes that, in the absence of permanent human habitation and of an autonomous economic life, the Scattered Islands tend to qualify as “rocks” within the meaning of Article 121(3). Consequently, they are not entitled to generate an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or a continental shelf, which limits the projection of maritime jurisdiction. The Chagos precedent further supports an interpretation of the dispute through the lens of territorial integrity and decolonisation.
Get a grip! – Baseline handgrip strength and sarcopenia as predictors of survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Publication . Orell, Helena; Pohju, Anne; Ravasco, Paula; Schwab, Ursula; Osterlund, Pia; Mäkitie, Antti A.
Background: Low handgrip strength (HGS) and sarcopenia are common in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study aimed to explore associations between baseline HGS, fat-free mass index (FFMI), nutritional indices, and survival.
Methods: This was a prospective observational sub-study of a randomized nutritional intervention trial, including 50 male patients with HNSCC undergoing curative-intent treatment (surgery and/or (chemo)radiotherapy). Sarcopenia was defined as low HGS (<27 kg) and FFMI (<17 kg/m2). Chi-square, Kaplan–Meier, and Cox analyses were used.
Results: Low HGS was observed in 16%, low FFMI in 46%, and sarcopenia in 12%. Patients with low HGS had lower body weight, BMI, and FFMI, alongside more malnutrition, elevated CRP, and heavy smoking. Low HGS and sarcopenia were associated with shorter overall survival (HR 3.7, [95% CI 1.5–9.1] and 5.5, [2.2–14.5], respectively); FFMI was not. Adjustment removed significance. Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the small, all-male cohort size.
Conclusion: In this small exploratory cohort HGS may serve as a simple screening surrogate for sarcopenia and survival.
Genomic insights and bioconversion potential in the Black Soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) : current advances and future directions
Publication . Oliveira, Joana; Guilgur, Leonardo Gaston; Assunção, Ricardo; Murta, Daniel; Trindade, Alexandre
The global population continues to rise, placing increasing pressure on the agri-food sector and leading to the accelerated generation of urban organic waste, factors that collectively intensify climate stress and environmental instability. Insects are recognised for their remarkable capacity to transform substrates into valuable products, with the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) emerging as one of the most efficient and widely utilised species for this purpose. Beyond recycling organic matter, BSFL can also mitigate microbial contamination, effectively reducing bacterial and fungal loads in waste substrates. Understanding and manipulating the genome could provide tools to improve BSFL bioconversion process and contribute to sustainability. In this review, we provide an overview of recent advances in black soldier fly genomics and genome-editing technologies. Although research in this subject remains limited, recent studies have clarified its origin, characterised its genome, and established the foundation for targeted genetic improvements to enhance by-product conversion, nutrient recovery, and environmental sustainability.
Game over : unraveling the prevalence and associations between bruxism, TMD and psychosocial factors in the Esports arena
Publication . Cardoso, Flávia Paula Da Silva; Barjandi, Golnaz; Flores, Dyanne Medina; Poluha, Rodrigo Lorenzi; Christidis, Nikolaos; Canales, Giancarlo De la Torre
Background: The professionalization of electronic sports (Esports) and streaming has introduced new challenges to players' physical and mental health, including chronic stress, sleep disruption and pain-related dysfunction. These factors are linked to bruxism and temporomandibular disorders (TMD), yet their prevalence and psychosomatic correlations within this community remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of bruxism and TMD among Esports players and streamers as well as their associations with psychosomatic and gaming-related variables.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 97 Esports players and streamers that completed validated self-report instruments screening for TMD (TMD pain-screener), bruxism, sociodemographic data, oral behaviors, sleep quality, perceived stress, anxiety, somatic symptoms, pain vigilance, and gaming/streaming habits. In addition to standard statistical tests, orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were applied to identify group differences and multivariate associations.
Results: Nearly half of the participants screened positive for TMD (49.5 %) and 78.4 % reported self-reported bruxism. Increased daily gaming hours correlated significantly with higher perceived stress and oral parafunctions. Multivariate analyses further showed that anxiety, somatic symptoms, poor sleep and perceived stress were key factors distinguishing participants with TMD from those without, and those with combined sleep and awake bruxism from those with only awake bruxism.
Conclusion: TMD and bruxism are highly prevalent among Esports players and streamers, with greater daily gaming exposure linked to psychosomatic stress and oral parafunctions. Digital athletes with combined sleep and awake bruxism and/or TMD, experience greater psychosocial distress, indicating a subgroup that needs closer attention through early screening and targeted preventive strategies.