L’industria e le strutture di trattamento dei rifiuti spesso generano emissioni odorigene contenenti composti volatili organici e inorganici, con impatti ambientali e sulla qualità della vita. Questo studio propone un approccio integrato per trattare gli odori attraverso bioreattori sequenziali e, contemporaneamente, recuperare risorse tramite la produzione di lipidi microalgali, utili per la produzione di biodiesel. Il sistema combina un bioreattore a letto mobile (MBBR) per l’abbattimento dello xilene e un fotobioreattore (PBR) per il riutilizzo della CO₂ prodotta. I risultati dimostrano la fattibilità del processo e il potenziale di applicazione industriale, evidenziando i benefici di un’economia circolare.

Title: Severe headache and acute blindness: A case report of Pituitary ApoplexyAuthors: Abdul-Rahman Faiza1, Adwoa Agyemang Adu-Gyamfi1, Kwaku Asare-Ankomah1, Kwadwo Faka Gyan1, Solomon Gyabaah1

Accurate Electroencephalography (EEG) signals classification is essential for diagnosing brain disorders such as Epilepsy. Whereas Deep Learning models such as Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) improved EEG classification performance over traditional methods, existing attention mechanisms such as Additive, Luong and Multihead struggle to capture EEG’s complex temporal dependencies. This study proposes Scaled Custom Attention (SCA); a mechanism for temporal dependency modeling during EEG classification. Unlike traditional Query-Key-Value (QKV) approaches which rely on semantic weighting schemes, SCA employs direct feature weighting strategy that adapts to the unique temporal dependencies of EEG signals, and introduces a scaling strategy that enhances stability. To validate our approach, experiments were conducted using TUH EEG Epilepsy Corpus (TUEP) where SCA achieved an improved classification performance (Accuracy: 98.07%, F1-Score: 98.06%), marginally higher than Additive (97.60%, 97.61%), Multihead (97.66%, 97.66%), and Luong (97.68%, 97.66%) attention mechanisms when integrated to the LConvNet EEG classification model. Additionally, SCA achieves a balanced performance profile, with competitive inference time of 2.83 vs. 1.32–3.89 for baselines, parameter efficiency (58.5 params/sample vs 58.5–63.7), and a comparable generalization, with an average training-validation difference (Avg) of 0.0191, making it a promising enhancement for EEG-based deep learning models.

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), a key application of the Internet of Things (IoT), has played a key role, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic. Real-time patient monitoring and remote diagnostics help improve medical services, but this increases the mammoth size of network traffic, which impacts the security quite a bit. However, traditional intrusion detection systems lack synchronization between accuracy and energy efficiency in resource-constrained IoMT environments. To address this issue, we present a hybrid cross-temporal contrastive model coupled with a spiking energy-efficient network for intrusion detection. This approach uses contrastive learning to learn temporal dependencies in network traffic and spiking neural networks (SNNs) for energy-efficient computations. We evaluated the model on the WUSTL-EHMS-2020 dataset, which consists of 44 features (35 of them are network flow measurements, and 8 are biometric patient features), as well as the NSL-KDD dataset to perform a comparative validation. Furthermore, the experiment results prove that our proposed model achieves 99.95% accuracy on the WUSTL-EHMS-2020 dataset with an F1 score of 99.89%, precision of 98.23%, and recall of 99.55%, outperforming conventional models. The model attained 98.2% accuracy, 97.6% precision, 98.5% F1 score, and 97.3% recall on the NSL-KDD Dataset. Our approach shows that these results effectively secure IoMT networks at a low computational cost. Finally, the proposed hybrid model can achieve good performance and energy efficiency for intrusion detection in innovative healthcare systems. In future work, efforts will be made to improve the model’s generalization property in diverse IoMT environments and minimize the energy consumption of spiking neural networks in real-time applications.

Cold stress is one of the major abiotic stress factors that affect plant growth and development, leading to yield loss. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays important roles in mediating abiotic stress tolerance. The molecular mechanisms underlying crosstalk between cold tolerance and ABA signaling remain elusive. Here, we report the E3 ubiquitin ligase OsPUB9 as a critical regulator linking ABA signaling and cold stress response in rice. We demonstrate that OsPUB9 negatively regulates cold tolerance. Cold induces OsPUB9 expression, which promotes the degradation of ICE1, a key transcription factor in cold signaling, thereby suppressing expression of OsCBFs. Intriguingly, OsCBF3 binds the OsPUB9 promoter, establishing a feedback loop that upregulates OsPUB9 under cold stress to fine-tune ICE1 stability. ABA induces OsPUB9 degradation whereas OsPUB9 modulates ABA signaling by ubiquitinating and degrading the phosphatase ABI2 and the kinase SAPK10, which form a regulatory complex. OsPUB9 disrupts ABI2-mediated dephosphorylation of SAPK10, enhancing SAPK10 activity. SAPK10 phosphorylates ICE1, further linking ABA and cold pathways. Our results elucidate a dual role for OsPUB9 in balancing ABA signaling and cold response through post-translational regulation of ABI2, SAPK10, and ICE1, offering novel targets for breeding climate-resilient rice varieties.

TITLE: KNOWING WHEN TO STOP: ARE WE TREATING TACHYSYSTOLE ENOUGH?Authors: Maria Cheung, Mize Omar, Michael Geary, Jennifer DonnellyDepartment of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.Corresponding author:Dr Maria Cheung,Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.mariacheung5@gmail.com01-817 1700Running Title: Are we treating tachysystole enough?

Abstract Objective This study aims to determine whether long-term follow-up is required following fertility sparing surgery (FSS) for mucinous borderline ovarian tumours (MBOT). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary gynaecology oncology centre at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (United Kingdom). Population or sample Patients under follow-up post-surgery for MBOT in the ovarian clinic from 2007-2025. Methods Rate of recurrence was compared amongst patients who underwent primary debulking, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (USO) or ovarian cystectomy for MBOT. Main outcome measures Duration of follow-up, rate of disease recurrence and the requirement for further surgery. Results Out of 75 patients diagnosed with MBOT, 27 underwent primary debulking surgery and 48 had FSS. Of the patients who underwent FSS, 28 had USO and 20 underwent ovarian cystectomy. Subsequently, 13 of the 20 patients (65%) who initially had ovarian cystectomy proceeded with completion USO. There were no recurrences following primary debulking, primary USO or completion USO after a median follow up of 49, 65.5 and 39 months, respectively. Four of the 20 patients (20%) who underwent ovarian cystectomy were found to have: residual MBOT (n=1) two months post-cystectomy, MBOT recurrence (n=2) at 10 and 66 months post-cystectomy, or mucinous carcinoma (n=1) five months post-cystectomy, all diagnosed at USO. Conclusions Patients of reproductive age who undergo USO for a MBOT do not require long-term follow-up as the overall risk of recurrence is very low. In contrast, patients who are managed by ovarian cystectomy have a higher risk of recurrence and should be offered long-term surveillance monitoring. Keywords Fertility sparing surgery; Mucinous borderline ovarian tumours; Recurrence of BOT.

Objective: To elucidate the relationship between PARP-1 activation and 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (5-ALA-PDT)-induced cell death in ovarian cancer, specifically examining the roles of PARP-1 induced-parthanatos, apoptosis and DNA repair. Design：In vitro experimental study. Sample: Human ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3, A2780). Methods: OVCAR3 cells were cultured under standard conditions. First, different conditions were established for the 5-ALA-PDT group in order to validate the effect of cell death. The toxicity of the PARP-1 inhibitor (DPQ) and the caspase-3 inhibitor (z-DEVD-fmk) was pre-validated. The experimental groups were then divided into the following: a control group; a 5-ALA-PDT group; a 5-ALA-PDT + DPQ group; a 5-ALA-PDT + z-DEVD-fmk group; a 5-ALA-PDT + DPQ + z-DEVD-fmk group; and an MNNG group. Outcome Measures: CCK-8 assay for cell viability; ROS assay kit for the semi-quantitative measurement of oxygen free radicals; Western blot analysis for the semi-quantitative expression of nuclear and total cellular proteins; JC-1 assay for changes in mitochondrial membrane potential; immunofluorescence technique for the localisation of intracellular proteins; and γH2AX assay kit for the detection of DNA damage. Results: Compared with the control group, 5-ALA-PDT caused early oxygen free radical overload, mitochondrial membrane potential imbalance, DNA double-strand damage, and reduced cell viability in human ovarian cancer cells SKOV3/A2780. PARP-1 expression was upregulated, and the number of PARP-1 active product [poly-(ADP-ribose), PAR]-modified proteins was increased. AIF nuclear translocation, cleaved caspase-3 expression, and increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Flow cytometry revealed that 5-ALA-PDT caused cell necrosis and apoptosis. Conclusion: 5-ALA-PDT induces parthanatos and apoptosis in human ovarian cancer cells through PARP-1.

This paper examined the clay mineralogical composition of representative lowland soils used for rice cultivation in Central Cross River State. To accomplish these objective profiles of soil from the study area were studied and mineralogical data of the different horizons of these soils were analyzed. Soil samples were collected from twelve (12) sampling locations within the study area and analyzed for clay mineralogical properties using the x-ray diffraction analysis. The mineralogy of clay size particles revealed that the clay fraction of these samples consisted of 22.92% of kaolinite, 20.18% illite, 9.58% wiserite, 15.12% kyanite and 12.52% nacrite. The mineralogy showed the dominance of 7Ǻ minerals (low activity clays such as kaolin) and of 10Ǻ mineral illite or clay mica their presence suggesting that the soil fertility characteristics has less potential for intensive rice production due to its low to moderate nutrient holding capacity and limited potential for inherent nutrient supply. The study concluded that rice yields were strongly influenced by clay mineralogical properties.

The self-organization map is an unsupervised learning technique that discovers patterns and relationships in data without requiring labeled training data. Inspired by the self-organization map, Self-Organization Granular encoding has been proven effective for generating reliable discrete data clustering results as it is a data encoding technique that uses fuzzy sets and granularity to handle uncertain and imprecise information within discrete data. However, it is mainly useful for unsupervised learning, and its feasibility for supervised learning has not been studied yet. Also, discrete data classification is still under-researched. This paper proposes a new discrete data classification method called Transposed Fuzzy Class Granular classification. This method aims to transform discrete data into fuzzy partitions by considering all available classes and generating representations of the trained class’s Transposed Fuzzy Class Granular distribution by measuring the total divergence to the average of each fuzzy class’s membership degree distribution. The paper introduces a novel approach to discrete data classification by adapting Class Granules for classification and improving performance by tackling uncertainty, ambiguity, and the unique characteristics of discrete datasets. The study examined seven discrete datasets and compared their performance with eight commonly used classifiers as the baseline. These datasets were naturally discrete or created by discrete partitions of real datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed classifier outperforms the baseline classifiers in discrete data classification.

[1]¿p#1 The conversion of natural desert vegetation to artificial sand-fixing vegetation significantly impacts the diversity of ground arthropods across various trophic levels. Consequently, this change modifies the structure and function of arthropod-dominated soil food webs, thereby influencing soil multifunctionality. In this study, we set up a vegetation gradient in the desert-oasis ecotone of Zhangye Oasis, Hexi Corridor, spanning from natural desert vegetation (mobile and fixed sandy dunes) to artificial fixed sandy vegetation (5-, 10-, 20- and 30- year-old Haloxylon ammodendron plantations). Our objective was to examine the relationship between multi-trophic arthropod diversity (MAD) and soil multifunctionality (SMF). SMF was higher in mobile sandy dunes (MSD) than in fixed sandy dunes (FSD). SMF in H. ammodendron plantations (HAs) was also higher than in both MSD and FSD. Furthermore, SMF in H. ammodendron plantations initially increased with plantation age, peaking at 20 years, and subsequently decreased. The established H. ammodendron plantations positively impacted predatory and herbivorous macro-arthropods, while negatively affecting omnivorous macro-arthropods. Additionally, these plantations positively affected predatory mites, oribatid mites, and springtails. However, a declining trend was observed for these three micro-arthropod taxa in HA30. The co-occurrence network of arthropods reveals that, compared to MSD and FSD, the arthropod network complexity was more pronounced in HAs, peaking in HA20. Structural equations results showed that multi-trophic abundance and shrub significantly enhanced the SMF, and soil salinity declined the SMF. In conclusion, the establishment of H. ammodendron plantations boost the multi-trophic abundance and community complexity of ground arthropods, thereby enhancing soil multifunctionality.

Title:Epidermoid Cyst in the Frontal Sinus: A Rare Case of Diagnosis and Surgical Management

AIMS: This study aims principally to explore the possible drug-drug interaction between Montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist employed in asthma management, and Cefixime, a broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic. The research aims to determine more especially how this interaction might affect the pharmacological efficacy of Cefixime, especially its antimicrobial action. Methods: Job’s plot analysis was used to evaluate the interaction by looking at the stoichiometry and complex formation between Cefixime and Montelukast. By measuring the zone of inhibition against bacterial strains, antimicrobial assays were also carried out to assess any alterations in the antimicrobial efficacy of Cefixime combined with Montelukast. Results: The plot analysis of the Job revealed a unique ^-shaped curve that pointed to a 1:1 complex formation between Cefixime and Montelukast, hence strong interaction. Cefixime alone had a 17 mm zone of inhibition in antimicrobial testing; when combined with Montelukast, this markedly decreased to 11 mm. This significant drop suggests that the interaction of Cefixime may be lessened antimicrobial power. Conclusion: The results imply that Cefixime and Montelukast have a major drug-drug interaction that probably leads to the development of a 1:1 molecular complex. This interaction changes Cefixime’s absorbance characteristics and significantly lowers its antimicrobial potency. These findings highlight the need of assessing such interactions to prevent suboptimal therapeutic results in patients taking both drugs.

We report the successful treatment of hepatoblastoma in a child with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and mosaic trisomy 7. Severe cardiac comorbidities compromised venous access, and the risk of chemotherapy-related toxicity posed significant challenges. A multidisciplinary team opted for cisplatin monotherapy and tailored surgical timing. Despite anatomical and genetic complexity, the patient achieved complete remission and long-term survival. At age 13.5, he remains tumor-free with good Fontan circulation. This case illustrates the feasibility of curative cancer therapy in children with single-ventricle physiology when guided by individualized and collaborative decision-making.

Joint contracture, a debilitating consequence of prolonged immobilization characterized by capsular fibrosis, presents a significant clinical challenge. Given the reported anti-fibrotic properties of nicorandil (NI) and extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESW), this study investigated the potential synergistic anti-fibrotic effects of their combination on immobilization-induced knee contracture. Forty-two rats were assigned to seven equal groups: control (C), immobilization (IM), natural recovery (RM), vehicle (CMC; carboxymethylcellulose gavage), nicorandil (N; 3 mg/kg/day gavage), ESW (E; 1.5 bar, 6 Hz, 2000 pulses/session, twice weekly), and combination intervention (CI; NI + ESW). Non-control groups underwent 4-week left knee immobilization. Post-immobilization, the IM group was euthanized immediately; others underwent respective 4-week treatments. Contracture severity was quantified by range of motion (ROM) loss. Fibrosis was assessed via TGF-β1, α-SMA, and Collagen I protein expression, Masson’s trichrome staining, and α-SMA immunohistochemistry; inflammation was evaluated by H&E staining. Immobilized rats exhibited significantly (P<0.05) elevated fibrotic/inflammatory markers and ROM loss versus C, with no differences among IM, RM, and CMC groups. Both NI (N) and ESW (E) monotherapies significantly (P<0.05 vs. RM/CMC) suppressed fibrosis, inflammation, and improved ROM. Crucially, the CI group demonstrated synergistically enhanced efficacy, significantly (P<0.05 vs. N/E) reducing TGF-β1, α-SMA, Collagen I expression, inflammatory infiltration, and improving ROM beyond either treatment alone. Conclusion: Combined nicorandil and ESW therapy synergistically attenuates immobilization-induced knee contracture and fibrosis in rats by suppressing TGF-β1 signaling and extracellular matrix deposition, presenting a promising therapeutic strategy.

Background Sepsis is a common and serious complication in pediatric hematology oncology (PHO) patients. The Endothelial Activation and Stress Index (EASIX) score offers a potentially accessible tool for risk stratification in septic patients. Our objective was to evaluate the utility of the EASIX score in predicting adverse clinical outcomes among septic PHO patients. Methods Retrospective review of all PHO patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with sepsis from July 2022 till December 2024. Results 53 patients with 65 sepsis events were included in the analysis. The median age was 14.9 [IQR 9.9] y and the most common disease was hematologic malignancy (71%). In our cohort, 60% needed vasopressor support, 36% required IMV, and 22% underwent renal replacement therapy (RRT). Log2-EASIX >2.5 was associated with higher vasopressor requirements (87% versus 45% in the low log2-EASIX group, p=0.001), and increased need for RRT (39% versus 12%, p=0.024. PHO patients with log2-EASIX >2.5 were 6.9 more likely to require vasopressor support [(95% CI 1.7-27.8) p=0.007]. In addition, PHO patients with log2-EASIX >2.5 had longer ICU stay (7 d versus 2 d in the low log2-EASIX group, p=0.024), and extended overall hospitalization (33 d versus 25 d, p=0.029). Conclusion Higher EASIX score was associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill septic PHO patients. Our findings suggest that EASIX score can be used as a tool for identifying septic patients at increased risk of clinical deterioration and poor outcomes. Prospective studies in larger cohorts are warranted to validate and expand upon these findings.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common pediatric malignancies. Approximately half of patients diagnosed with this disease are classified as “high-risk,” which is defined as metastasized or aggressive NB with a poor prognosis if not treated properly. Treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) often requires an integrated approach involving chemotherapy, surgery, immunotherapy, radiotherapy, cancer vaccines, and autologous stem cell transplantation. As HRNB is highly infiltrative, frequently wraps around blood vessels, and is often difficult to differentiate from normal tissues, a surgical procedure that employs tools which optimize real-time, intraoperative visualization of the tumor is essential. This is now achievable by a tracer that is cancer target-specific and a fluorescence-labeled monoclonal antibody (mAb) that can improve the quality of complete tumor removal. Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) has been proven to provide qualitative and quantitative imaging and real-time mapping of tumors using tumor-specific targets for HRNB. GD2, a disialoganglioside glycolipid, and a clinically significant tumor-associated antigen, has been shown to overexpress on the surface of NB cells and is minimally expressed in normal cells. The tumor-selective anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (anti-GD2 mAb) has been used in immunotherapy in treating HRNB patients with success and has demonstrated clear benefit. Thus, fluorescence-tagged anti-GD2 mAb could function as a visual tracer that guides surgical procedures specific for HRNB to optimize tumor resection with greater accuracy, thereby lowering the risk of surgical complications and reducing the incidence of relapse. We provide a critical review of current treatment strategies and future applications of targeted FGS in HRNB treatment.

The psychosocial aspects of pediatric hereditary cancer range beyond initial coping with the genetic diagnosis and are situated across the lifespan and continuum of care. Over the past 20 years, a growing body of evidence has demonstrated the need for tailored support to identify and manage psychosocial concerns of pediatric patients with, or at risk of, a cancer predisposition syndrome (CPS). As the unmet needs of young people with CPS continue to grow, the importance of psychology in the genomic era has expanded. This paper discusses how psychologists can be integrated with inter-or multi-disciplinary teams to address complex psychosocial needs.

1. The Vaal River is a vital water source for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use in South Africa’s economic heartland. However, its water quality is under increasing pressure from nutrient pollution, algal blooms, and invasive aquatic plants. This study applies the Algal Problem Index (API) to assess biological water quality and identify potential risks associated with cyanobacteria and algae in the upper reaches of the Vaal River. 2. Water samples were collected over a 12-month hydrological year from 16 sites, including two impoundments and four major tributaries. Physicochemical parameters were analysed alongside chlorophyll- a concentrations, phytoplankton identification, and multivariate statistical techniques to evaluate relationships between environmental parameters and algal-related problems. 3. Results revealed that several taxa, including Microcystis aeruginosa and Dolichospermum circinale, are responsible for taste, odour, and potential toxin production. Tributaries such as the Riet Spruit and Klip River were identified as major sources of nutrient loading and organic pollution, although low light penetration in the Klip River limited algal proliferation. Elevated API scores, indicative of degraded biological water quality, were recorded downstream of nutrient-rich tributaries where light availability facilitated algal growth. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that problematic algal taxa correlated strongly with elevated temperatures, turbidity, and nutrient concentrations, particularly during summer. 4. The API proved to be a valuable monitoring and communication tool to provide a visual and practical assessment of water quality risks. These findings highlight the importance of continued monitoring and integrated catchment management to mitigate ecological and public health risks in the Vaal River system.

Background: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is associated with a significantly increased risk of stroke, primarily assessed using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD). However, access to TCD and haemoglobin F (HbF) testing remains limited in resource-constrained settings. Our preliminary findings identified the platelet-neutrophil ratio (PNR) as a promising biomarker for stroke risk stratification. This updated study evaluates the predictive value of PNR while adjusting for HbF levels and transfusion history. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 248 HbSS children and young adults at Children’s National Hospital, Washington DC. Demographic, clinical, and hematologic parameters—including PNR, HbF levels, and transfusion status—were analysed in relation to TCD results. Logistic regression and ROC curve analyses were performed. Results: Subjects with abnormal TCD values had significantly lower PNR (53.05 vs. 87.65, p<0.001) and HbF (7.48% vs. 16.35%, p<0.001) compared to those with normal TCD results. Transfused children were more likely to have abnormal TCD findings (OR = 5.56, 95% CI: 2.30 - 13.47, p<0.001). Multivariate analysis confirmed PNR as a significant independent predictor of abnormal TCD (OR = 0.925, p<0.001). ROC analysis showed superior predictive performance for PNR (AUC = 0.82) compared to HbF (AUC = 0.73) and ANC (AUC = 0.76). Conclusion: PNR remains a cost-effective and accessible biomarker for stroke risk stratification, retaining its predictive strength even after adjusting for HbF and transfusion status.

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) face elevated risks for long-term health complications, making continued follow-up care essential. Yet many remain disengaged from survivorship services. This randomized controlled pilot study tested a brief, phone-based narrative intervention aimed at increasing health care self-efficacy (HCSE), posttraumatic growth (PTG), and intent to seek care among adolescent and young adult CCS not currently in follow-up. Thirty-three participants were randomized to either the intervention or a control group. Intervention participants completed a single one-hour phone call in which they reflected on their cancer experience, identified strengths and growth, and considered how these could support re-engagement with care. All participants received a survivorship brochure; intervention participants also received a personalized summary. The intervention was feasible and well-received, with high participation and full survey completion. Compared to controls, intervention participants showed significant increases in HCSE and intent to seek follow-up care (p < .05). PTG increased in both groups with no between-group differences. No differences were observed in appointment-making behavior at four weeks. A single narrative-based session may be sufficient to boost motivation and self-efficacy, but additional strategies may be needed to translate these gains into action. This low-cost, scalable approach merits further exploration in larger, more diverse samples.

Globally, there is no single universally agreed-upon definition of Indigenous peoples (IPs), yet specific criteria are typically used to define whether someone is Indigenous or not, namely self-identification, historical continuity, linkage to ancestral land, and distinctive social, cultural, and economic systems. This paper argues that the definition criteria act as guiding principles to explain the situation of IPs rather than recognising IPs’ collective rights to their lands, which are critical for nature conservation. By drawing the insights from selected cases, we found that either one or two of these criteria, such as cultural and self-identification, are commonly applied to identify IPs. The cases also showed that recognising collective rights of IPs to land has been found to offer a positive outcome for nature conservation and associated socio-cultural and economic opportunities for the people (e.g. biodiversity conservation, greenhouse gas abatement). We emphasise that not only the definition, but the legal recognition of land rights and involvement of IPs would be of the utmost importance to continue cultural practices attached to their ancestral lands, allowing them to be involved with natural resource management and conservation decision-making, that eventually relates to self-determination, equity and social and economic justice.

The functional roles of herbivores and carnivores in ecosystems are relatively well studied, they exert top-down direct and indirect control and can modify ecosystems through engineering. Omnivores lie at the interface between these two guilds, and because they may consume a little of everything, their role in ecosystems has been somewhat overlooked. However, for these reasons we believe that omnivores play a pivotal role in ecosystems through trophic and non-trophic interactions with other guilds, from primary producers to apex consumers. To gain a better understanding, we performed a literature review for both interactions triggered by a group of terrestrial omnivores: Bears. We submitted equation searches on the Web of Science for each type of interaction and omnivore bear species. We kept 411 references highlighting a wide range of trophic and non-trophic interactions in various ecosystems. Our review shows the large number, diversity and significance of interactions in the ecosystem due to omnivorous bears, but also a huge global variability in interactions from bear to bear species and among sites. We argue, even if further research is required, that omnivores may constitute keystone species, not solely due to few strong interactions but rather to multiple interactions of varying strength with various ecosystem components, turning them into potential targets for ecosystem conservation.

retired professor, USA "Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made." Otto von Bismarck