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Purpose: To describe the prevalence of neck pain (NP) and low back pain (LBP) of varying severity in older community-dwelling men, identify associated factors, and evaluate whether prevalent NP/LBP are risk factors for experiencing pain 5 years later. Patients and Methods: MrOS Sweden is a prospective observational study that included 3014 community-dwelling men aged 69–81 years, of whom 1962 atte
Background: In stroke rehabilitation, instruments assessing the value individuals attribute to everyday activities are vital. The Occupational Value with pre-defined items (OVal-pd) questionnaire was devised for this purpose. Aim: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swedish OVal-pd—floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency, construct validity, responsiveness, long-term stability,
Winter is a critical bottleneck period for many insects and is particularly pivotal for pest species, being a major regulator of their populations. In winter, insect fruit pests such as the invasive fly, Drosophila suzukii, not only have to cope with harsh environmental conditions but also need to find alternative resources when cultivated fruit are scarce. This study aimed to disentangle the rela
Fallen fruits provide important feeding and breeding substrates for insects such as Drosophilidae and can be a potential trophic reservoir when usual host fruits become scarce. Recently, two invasive fruit fly species, Drosophila suzukii and Chymomyza amoena, have become established in Europe and are expected to alter existing Drosophilidae communities. In this study, carried out between September
Polyphagous insect species develop using multiple host plants. Often considered beneficial, polyphagy can also be costly as host nutritional quality may vary. Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive species that can develop on numerous fruit species over the annual cycle. Here, we assessed the contribution of winter-available fruit to the development of seasonal populations of D. suzukii, un
Understanding regional variation in public transport preferences is essential for designing efficient mobility systems. This study examines the stability of preferences for both traditional public transport and demand-responsive transport across three Swedish regions–Stockholm (urban), Skåne (intermediate), and Värmland (rural)–using discrete choice experiments. The analysis focuses on key service
In temperate regions, most insect species overwinter in diapause while others continue to be active, feed, and possibly reproduce despite adverse climatic conditions. For fruit flies which remain active winter long, the presence of winter-available fruit is crucial for population persistence. This study aimed to disentangle the relative effects of climatic, landscape, and local factors on infestat
Thermal preference (Tp) prevents ectotherms from encountering sublethal temperatures. Its plasticity likely modulates the importance of behavioral thermoregulation under changing conditions. While it has been widely recognized that Tp varies across ontogeny, the plasticity level of this trait across life stages is poorly understood. We propose a novel conceptual framework relating two plastic comp
Polyphagy is an adaptative strategy allowing species to develop and survive on multiple diets. Phytophagous insects can be exposed to sub-optimal resources, as host plants vary in nutritional quality. Some insects may rely on symbiotic bacteria to better utilize less favorable substrates. The invasive fruit fly Drosophila suzukii is a highly successful pest worldwide. The use of ripening and ripe
Interactions between a host organism and its associated microbiota, including symbiotic bacteria, play a crucial role in host adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Antarctica provides a unique environment for the establishment and maintenance of symbiotic relationships. One of the most extensively studied symbiotic bacteria in invertebrates is Wolbachia pipientis, which is associated wi
Polyphagous insects rely on multiple cues to choose oviposition sites, including substrate temperature and nutritional quality, which often do not coincide. We examined how females of the invasive fly Drosophila suzukii make oviposition decisions when temperature and nutrition mismatch, and whether infection with the symbiotic bacterium Wolbachia influences these choices. We first quantified femal
The identity of Ceropegia hirsuta in Thailand has been questioned. Although this plant is quite similar to the original C. hirsuta from India, being entirely hirsute, with yellowish-shaded flowers, a curved, funnel-shaped corolla tube, and broad corolla lobes shorter than the corolla tube, there are several clear differences in morphological traits between the materials collected in Thailand and t
A time-consuming yet mandatory step during in vitro sexual propagation of orchids is the treatment of seeds with a disinfecting solution that also serves to scarify the seeds. If the seeds are not properly disinfected, microorganisms grow within the culture vessel, thus reducing the efficacy of the process and burdening the operation with unnecessary materials and labour. On the other hand, a long
Possession of flowers that trap fly pollinators is a conservative trait within the genus Ceropegia, in which pollination systems can be generalized or highly specialized. However, little is known about the role of plant–pollinator interactions in the maintenance of species boundaries. This study examined the degree of plant–pollinator specialization and identified the parameters responsible for sp
A critical step during in vitro sexual propagation of terrestrial orchids is the treatment of the microscopic seeds with a disinfecting solution that kills bacteria and fungi attached to the seeds. This treatment is necessary to prevent infection of the culture vessels. At the same time, the treatment serves to scarify the seeds, a process that disrupts seed dormancy and initiates germination. The
ABSTRACT Biological invasions have intensified in recent decades, mostly driven by international trade and travel, raising significant concerns, particularly regarding insect pests. Once non-native species establish, they can disrupt natural ecosystem stability, undermine agroecosystem sustainability and cause substantial economic losses. The urgency to anticipate these socio-economic impacts has
With considerable flux in the peace and conflict landscape, scholars, policymakers, practitioners and publics alike are scrambling to understand emerging realities. Moreover, a sometimes slow academic publishing cycle means that much material appearing in academic journals seems already outdated–reporting on a peace and conflict landscape as though we are still in an era of comprehensive peace pro
The PRIMARY score was implemented in Prostate Cancer Molecular Imaging Standardized Evaluation (PROMISE) version 2 to improve accuracy for the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer using prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET). We reviewed overall survival (OS) for patients who underwent PSMA PET for initial staging to evaluate the prognostic valu
This study introduces the novel concept of the justice/participation paradox to post-conflict peace and justice literature. The 2016 peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) formalised a solution to the peace-versus-justice dilemma: allocating congressional seats to FARC while ensuring legal accountability through the Special Jurisdicti
