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Cimatti, M., Ranc, N., Benítez-López, A., Maiorano, L., Boitani, L., Cagnacci, F., Čengić, M., Ciucci, P., Huijbregts, M.A.J., Krofel, M., López-Bao, J.V., Selva, N., Andren, H., Bautista, C., Ćirović, D., Hemmingmoore, H., Reinhardt, I., Marenče, M., Mertzanis, Y., Pedrotti, L., Trbojević, I., Zetterberg, A., Zwijacz-Kozica, T., Santini, L.

In this study, we conducted post-mortem examinations of golden jackals ( Canis aureus ) and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) from the northern region of the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to detect the presence of Angiostrongylus vasorum . An epidemiological survey was conducted in the densest golden jackal population in the country. Over two time intervals, we examined a total of 30 jackals and 16 foxes. The presence of A. vasorum was confirmed in two jackals (6.6%) and one fox (6.25%). These findings strongly suggest that the spread of A. vasorum can be facilitated by the active expansion and migration of golden jackals in Southeastern Europe. The morphological and molecular detection of A. vasorum in jackals and foxes confirmed its presence and active circulation in wildlife, while the phylogenetic analysis of the ITS-2 gene indicated a low sequence distance from European isolates.

The recovery of wolves ( Canis lupus ) across Europe is a notable conservation success in a region with extensive human alteration of landscapes and high human population densities. We provide a comprehensive update on wolf populations in Europe, estimated at over 21,500 individuals by 2022, representing a 58% increase over the past decade. Despite the challenges of high human densities and significant land use for agriculture, industry, and urbanization, wolves have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and increasing population trends in most European countries. Improved monitoring techniques, although varying in quality and scope, have played a crucial role in tracking this recovery. Annually, wolves kill approximately 56,000 domestic animals in the EU, a risk unevenly distributed and differently handled across regions. Damage compensation costs 17 million EUR every year to European countries. Positive economic impacts from wolf presence, such as those related to reducing traffic accidents with wild ungulates or supporting wildlife tourism, remain under studied. Wolf recovery in Europe is supported by diverse policy and legal instruments such as LIFE programs, stakeholder platforms, as well as the EU Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention. Coexisting with newly established wolf populations in Europe entails managing impacts on human activities, including livestock depredation, competition for game, and fear of attacks on humans, amidst varying social and political views on wolf recovery. Sustainable coexistence continues to operate in evolving and complex social, economic, and political landscapes, often characterized by intense debates regarding wolf policies.

Large carnivores worldwide have experienced substantial range contractions due to human activities, though several species are recolonising parts of their historical range. We aimed to assess current and potential European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) habitat as well as habitat connectivity on a continental scale. The extended biogeographical regions of Europe, spanning from Portugal to central Russia, longitudinally, and from Norway to Türkiye, latitudinally. Excluding inland seas; this area covers 11,151,636 km[sup.2]. We assessed habitat suitability throughout the study area using an ensemble species distribution model with nine submodels, using data from 10 European bear populations and Türkiye. We used the resulting habitat suitability maps to conduct a least‐cost path connectivity analysis and an omnidirectional circuit connectivity analysis. Habitat suitability was strongly associated with low percentages of agricultural cover, low percentages of human development, and proximity to forest. Of our entire study area, 37% (4.09 million km[sup.2]) is occupied or potentially suitable for bears. Connectivity analyses identified corridors that could facilitate movement among southern European bear populations, though agricultural land and human development limit connectivity between northern and southern European bear populations. Previous research estimated bears occupied 0.5 million km[sup.2] across the European Union, while our results estimate 1.82 million km[sup.2] of this part of our study area is potentially suitable for bears, though connectivity is limited. Our results inform conservation strategies and policy development for the future of brown bears in Europe, emphasising the need for transboundary conservation efforts.

The recovery of wolves (Canis lupus) across Europe is a notable conservation success in a region with extensive human alteration of landscapes and high human population densities. We provide a comprehensive update on wolf populations in Europe, estimated at over 21,500 individuals by 2022, representing a 58% increase over the past decade. Despite the challenges of high human densities and significant land use for agriculture, industry, and urbanization, wolves have demonstrated remarkable adaptability and increasing population trends in most European countries. Improved monitoring techniques, although varying in quality and scope, have played a crucial role in tracking this recovery. Annually, wolves kill approximately 56,000 domestic animals in the EU, a risk unevenly distributed and differently handled across regions. Damage compensation costs 17 million EUR every year to European countries. Positive economic impacts from wolf presence, such as those related to reducing traffic accidents with wild ungulates or supporting wildlife tourism, remain under studied. Wolf recovery in Europe is supported by diverse policy and legal instruments such as LIFE programs, stakeholder platforms, as well as the EU Habitats Directive and the Bern Convention. Coexisting with newly established wolf populations in Europe entails managing impacts on human activities, including livestock depredation, competition for game, and fear of attacks on humans, amidst varying social and political views on wolf recovery. Sustainable coexistence continues to operate in evolving and complex social, economic, and political landscapes, often characterized by intense debates regarding wolf policies.

In this study, we conducted post-mortem examinations of golden jackals (Canis aureus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the northern region of the Republic of Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina) to detect the presence of Angiostrongylus vasorum. An epidemiological survey was conducted in the densest golden jackal population in the country. Over two time intervals, we examined a total of 30 jackals and 16 foxes. The presence of A. vasorum was confirmed in two jackals (6.6%) and one fox (6.25%). These findings strongly suggest that the spread of A. vasorum can be facilitated by the active expansion and migration of golden jackals in Southeastern Europe. The morphological and molecular detection of A. vasorum in jackals and foxes confirmed its presence and active circulation in wildlife, while the phylogenetic analysis of the ITS-2 gene indicated a low sequence distance from European isolates.

Vuk je za područje Bosne i Hercegovine autohtona i široko rasprostranjena vrsta Nažalost, usljed nepostojanja sistematskih ekoloških istraživanja, gotovo se ništa ne zna o njegovoj ekologiji, prostornoj distribuciji i gustinama populacija. Vuk ima različit status zaštite u Bosni i Hercegovini, i uslovljen je različitim entitetskim zakonima. Kako do sada na prostoru Bosne i Hercegovine nije bilo sveobuhvatnih, sintetičkih istraživanja ekologije, genetike, ili bilo koje vrste idioekoloških istraživanja ove krupne karnivore, to definisani ciljevi ove disertacije treba da daju doprinos poznavanju ekologije vuka i populacionog statusa vuka u BiH kao osnove za dalje održivo upravljanje, zaštitu i izradu nacionalnog akcionog plana. Ciljevi disertacije su: definisanje distribucije vuka na području BiH; definisanje prostora sa najvećim gustinama populacija; analiziranje prirode ishrane vuka u BiH; analiziranje sezonske varijabilnost ishrane vuka; analiziranje obima napada na domaće životinje i njihov prostorni i vremenski aspekt; da na osnovu genetičkih i morfometrijskih analiza odredi populacioni status u odnosu na susjedne dinarske populacije i prijedlože mjere za održivo upravljanje i očuvanje vuka u BiH. Analiza distribucije vuka u Bosni i Hercegovini je bazirana na prikupljenim statističkim podacima o odstrelu, anketama, evidenciji šteta, pregledom lovačke periodike i dnevnih novina za period 2003-2013. godine. Distribucija vuka u BiH je prikazana na UTM (MGS) koordinatnom sistemu sa veličinom kvadrata od 10x10 km. Analiza ishrane vuka na prostoru Bosne i Hercegovine je bazirana na analizi fecesa. Feces je prikupljan tokom perioda 2009- 2013. godine na dva transekta (Tisovac i Manjača) u dužini od po 10 km. Sastav ishrane vuka je izražen preko relativne učestalosti pronalaženja neke kategorije/tipa hrane (%O, broj nalaza neke kategorije hrane / ukupan broj nalaza svih kategorija x 100) i procenta konzumirane biomase (%B, masa određene kategorije hrane / ukupna masa svih kategorija x 100). Podaci o štetama su prikupljani za period od 2003 do 2014 godine. Za analizu šteta prikupljani su samo podaci zasnovani na direktinim opservacijama šteta na domaćim životinjama (vuk ili čopor viđeni na licu mjesta, odstreljena/e jedinka/e na mjestu štete i sl.). Štete su obrađene i prikazane prema vrsti stradale stoke (ovce, koze, goveda, svinje, konji, lovački psi, ostali psi) i godine u kojoj je šteta načinjena.Populacioni status vuka je definisan na osnovu genetičkih i morfometrijskih razlika i osobenosti njegovih populacija u Bosni i Hercegovini u odnosu na prvenstveno susjedne dinarske (kojoj vukovi iz BiH pripadaju) i ostale evropske populacije. Diferencijacija populacije i polni dimorfizam vukova u BiH proučavani su u periodu od 2009. do 2014. godine, dok je za analizu među populacijama iz Srbije materijal prikupljan u periodu od 2004. do 2014. godine. Analiziranjem podataka o distribuciji i relativnoj gustini lokalnih populacija, može se zaključiti da je vuk široko prisutan u planinskoj zoni Bosne i Hercegovine. Podaci ukazuju da se najveće gustine vučijih populacija nalaze na sjevernim dijelovima Dinarskog masiva, dok u nizijskim dijelovima Posavine, vuk se, može se reći, samo sporadično susreće. Nasuprot nizijskim dijelovima, u visokoplaninskom pojasu Dinarida u Bosni i Hercegovini, vuk je prisutan, ali sa malim gustinama lokalnih populacija. Analiziranjem ishrane vuka došlo se do zaključka da su glavni izvor hrane tokom čitave godine bile lovne vrste (srna, divlja svinja, zec i kune).

Joint modeling of a number of phenotypes using multivariate methods has often been neglected in genome-wide association studies and if used, replication has not been sought. Modern omics technologies allow characterization of functional phenomena using a large number of related phenotype measures, which can benefit from such joint analysis. Here, we report a multivariate genome-wide association studies of 23 immunoglobulin G (IgG) N -glycosylation phenotypes. In the discovery cohort, our multi-phenotype method uncovers ten genome-wide significant loci, of which five are novel ( IGH, ELL2, HLA-B-C, AZI1, FUT6-FUT3 ). We convincingly replicate all novel loci via multivariate tests. We show that IgG N -glycosylation loci are strongly enriched for genes expressed in the immune system, in particular antibody-producing cells and B lymphocytes. We empirically demonstrate the efficacy of multivariate methods to discover novel, reproducible pleiotropic effects. Multivariate analysis methods can uncover the relationship between phenotypic measures characterised by modern omic techniques. Here the authors conduct a multivariate GWAS on IgG N -glycosylation phenotypes and identify 5 novel loci enriched in immune system genes.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is a major effector molecule of the human immune response, and aberrations in IgG glycosylation are linked to various diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying protein glycosylation are still poorly understood. We present a data-driven approach to infer reactions in the IgG glycosylation pathway using large-scale mass-spectrometry measurements. Gaussian graphical models are used to construct association networks from four cohorts. We find that glycan pairs with high partial correlations represent enzymatic reactions in the known glycosylation pathway, and then predict new biochemical reactions using a rule-based approach. Validation is performed using data from a GWAS and results from three in vitro experiments. We show that one predicted reaction is enzymatically feasible and that one rejected reaction does not occur in vitro. Moreover, in contrast to previous knowledge, enzymes involved in our predictions colocalize in the Golgi of two cell lines, further confirming the in silico predictions. IgG glycosylation is an important factor in immune function, yet the molecular details of protein glycosylation remain poorly understood. The data-driven approach presented here uses large-scale plasma IgG mass spectrometry measurements to infer new biochemical reactions in the glycosylation pathway.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading musculoskeletal disorders in the adult population. It is associated with cartilage damage triggered by the deterioration of the extracellular matrix tissue. The present study explores the effect of intra-articular injection of autologous microfragmented adipose tissue to host chondrocytes and cartilage proteoglycans in patients with knee OA. A prospective, non-randomized, interventional, single-center, open-label clinical trial was conducted from January 2016 to April 2017. A total of 17 patients were enrolled in the study, and 32 knees with osteoarthritis were assessed. Surgical intervention (lipoaspiration) followed by tissue processing and intra-articular injection of the final microfragmented adipose tissue product into the affected knee(s) was performed in all patients. Patients were assessed for visual analogue scale (VAS), delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) glycans at the baseline, three, six and 12 months after the treatment. Magnetic resonance sequence in dGEMRIC due to infiltration of the anionic, negatively charged contrast gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA2−) into the cartilage indicated that the contents of cartilage glycosaminoglycans significantly increased in specific areas of the treated knee joint. In addition, dGEMRIC consequently reflected subsequent changes in the mechanical axis of the lower extremities. The results of our study indicate that the use of autologous and microfragmented adipose tissue in patients with knee OA (measured by dGEMRIC MRI) increased glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in hyaline cartilage, which is in line with observed VAS and clinical results.