Arachnid Fauna (Araneae and Opiliones) from the Castro Verde Special Protection Area, southern Portugal.

Background: With the increasing recognition of the significance of arachnid conservation, it is crucial to allocate greater efforts towards implementing targeted monitoring programmes. Despite recent studies, our understanding of arachnid populations in Portugal remains limited. This study serves as the initial inventory of arachnids (Araneae and Opiliones) within the Castro Verde Special Protection Area (SPA) located in Beja, southern Portugal. The surveys were conducted during the spring of 2012 across 80 open grasslands that were grazed by cattle and sheep. New information: A total of 71 species of Araneae and two species of Opiliones have been identified. Notably, three spider species, namely Argennasubnigra, Civizelotesibericus and Walckenaeriacucullata, are documented for the first time in Portugal. Additionally, two harvestmen species (Dasylobusibericus and Homalenotusbuchneri) and 14 spider species (Cheiracanthiumpennatum, Haplodrassusrhodanicus, Marinarozelotesminutus, Tapinocybaalgirica, Agraecinalineata, Tibellusmacellus, Talaverapetrensis, Tetragnathaintermedia, Dipoenaumbratilis, Enoplognathadiversa, Neottiurauncinata, Ruborridionmusivum, Theridionpinastri and Xysticusgrallator) are recorded for the first time in the Beja District. The occurrence of each documented species within the SPA, including family and species details, is presented, underscoring the significance of the Castro Verde SPA for arachnid conservation. These findings contribute novel insights into the biodiversity of the Castro Verde SPA, emphasising the necessity of incorporating this area into arachnid diversity conservation efforts.

Canopy arthropod declines along a gradient of olive farming intensification.

Arthropod declines have been linked to agricultural intensification. However, information about the impacts of intensification is still limited for many crops, as is our understanding of the responses of different arthropod taxa and trophic groups, thus hindering the development of effective mitigation measures. We investigated the impacts of olive farming intensification on canopy-dwelling arthropods in the Mediterranean region. Intensification involves the increased use of agrochemicals, mechanisation and irrigation, but also structural changes from traditional orchards with low densities of large and old trees, to intensive and superintensive orchards with high to very high densities of smaller and younger trees, respectively. Canopy arthropods were vacuum-sampled at 53 sites representing the three orchard intensification levels, in spring, summer and autumn 2017. We evaluated how the arthropod community varied across intensification levels, and in response to orchard structure, management and landscape context. We found no changes in the diversity of arthropod taxa across intensification levels after correcting for sample coverage, but arthropod abundance declined markedly along the intensification gradient. Decreased abundance was associated with changes in orchard structure, lower herbaceous cover, and higher herbicide and insecticide use. The abundance of a specialized olive pest was lower in landscapes with higher woodland cover. The negative effects of intensification were stronger in spring and summer than in autumn, and parasitoids and predators were particularly affected. Overall, results suggest that retaining herbaceous cover, reducing agrochemical inputs and preserving natural woody elements in the landscape, may contribute to mitigate impacts of olive farming intensification on canopy arthropods, particularly on beneficial species.

Cannabidiol: Recent advances and new insights for neuropsychiatric disorders treatment.

The pharmacological research on the Cannabis sativa-derived compounds has never terminated. Among the phytocannabinoids without psychotropic effects, the prevalent one in Cannabis is cannabidiol (CBD). Although CBD was initially considered a type 2 cannabinoid receptor (CB2R) antagonist, it did not show a good cannabinoidergic activity. Furthermore, heterogeneous results were obtained in experimental animal models of anxiety disorders, psychotic stages and neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, CBD has been authorized by the FDA to treat some rare forms of epilepsy and many trials have begun for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders. This review aims to clarify the pharmacological activity of CBD and its multiple therapeutic applications. Furthermore, critical and conflicting results of the research on CBD are discussed with a focus on promising future prospects.

The Orthoptera of Castro Verde Special Protection Area (Southern Portugal): new data and conservation value.

With the increasing awareness of the need for Orthoptera conservation, greater efforts must be gathered to implement specific monitoring schemes. Despite recent surveys, little is known about Portuguese Orthoptera populations. This study was performed in 2014 and 2015 mainly in Castro Verde Special Protection Area (SPA), southern Portugal, and is the first Orthoptera inventory conducted in the area. A total of 35 Orthoptera species was recorded, with two new species reported for Portugal. We provide species' habitat occurrences within the protected area and use information on the conservation status and the Iberian distribution of each documented species to discuss the importance of Castro Verde SPA for Orthoptera conservation. The data presented here sheds new light on Castro Verde SPA biodiversity and emphasizes the inclusion of this area in the conservation of Orthoptera diversity, particularly in the protection of threatened endemic species.

Applying community-based participatory research to better understand and improve kinship care practices: insights from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

While the principles behind community-based participatory research are firmly established, the process of taking community-based participatory research with children and youth to scale and integrating it into the programming of non-governmental organizations has been scarcely documented. This article reflects on the experiences of Save the Children in implementing a multicountry community-based participatory research program to increase understanding of kinship care in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. The article discusses challenges faced and lessons learned and highlights how the research process enabled action and advocacy initiatives at different levels-leading to an increase in support and policy attention for children living in kinship care.

Apoyo social, características sociodemográficas y burnout en enfermeras y auxiliares de hospital / Social support, sociodemographic characteristics and burnout syndrome in hospital nurses and nursing auxiliaries

Este estudio explora la relación entre síndrome de burnout (agotamiento emocional, despersonalización y falta de realización personal) y apoyo procedente de la red social: vínculos informales (familia y amigos) y vínculos del lugar de trabajo (supervisores y compañeros). Para la recogida de datos se utilizaron la Multidimensional Support Scale (Winefield HR, Winefield AH, Tiggemann M, 1992) y el Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach C, Jackson SE, 1986) en una muestra de enfermeras de un hospital general. Se obtuvieron los siguientes resultados: a) el agotamiento emocional se relacionó positivamente con el apoyo social de los compañeros, y b) la suficiencia con el apoyo de la familia y de los amigos estaba asociada a la realización personal. Para futuras investigaciones se debe considerar la importancia de valorar qué necesidades de apoyo social específicas requieren diferentes vínculos sociales y el rol que los vínculos informales tienen en la prevención del síndrome. Finalmente, se discuten algunas implicaciones que nuestros hallazgos tienen en el diseño y la implementación de programas de prevención (AU)