This review analyzes strategies to prevent or reduce the transmission of diseases caused by pathogenic variants in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Among these, we will focus on prenatal screening, preimplantation genetic testing, gene-editing techniques, other molecular tools, and selected heterologous mitochondrial replacement techniques (MRTs), explaining their status and the uncertainties surrounding their clinical application. After this analysis and review, we recognise the limitations of the efficacy of prenatal and preimplantation genetic testing for mitochondrial DNA pathogenic variants, the legal constraints on gene editing, and the status of mitochondrial replacement techniques. MRTs are a safe and possibly more effective alternative for preventing diseases caused by mitochondrial DNA pathogenic variants.
Meta-analyses have consistently shown that ICT-supported writing interventions are effective, yet existing syntheses often provide limited insight into their instructional design. To address this gap, the present meta-analysis adopts a component-based instructional design perspective to examine which instructional features embedded in ICT-supported writing interventions are associated with improvements in students’ writing quality. We estimated the overall effect on writing quality (1) and tested whether design principles, their operationalization into specific instructional activities (2), feedback and scaffolding features (3), and the delivering agent (teacher, ICT, or both) (4) moderated effects. Following PRISMA guidelines, studies were identified through ERIC, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus, yielding 42 empirical studies, focusing on typically developing students. ICT-supported interventions showed a large overall positive effect on writing quality (g = 1.264, 95
This study aimed to identify the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) athlete in running events held at the Olympic Games and World Athletics championships. The achievements of 1294 men and 824 women who won at least one medal in any sprint, hurdles, or distance event at major global championships since 1896, or set a World Record (WR) since 1912, were collated. A scoring system was used to award points, with Olympic gold medals and WRs ranked joint highest. Fewer points were awarded for Olympic silver and bronze medals and for medals in World Championships (outdoor, indoor, and cross-country). Bonus points were awarded for WR longevity and the setting of WRs during Olympic finals. Athletes were also ranked by event and within historical eras. As of March 2026, Usain Bolt (Jamaica) was ranked as the male GOAT, and the highest-scoring woman was Faith Kipyegon (Kenya). Both athletes notably won “doubles” during their careers (over 100/200 m and 1500 m/5000 m, respectively) and set WRs over both distances. Marathon, steeplechase, and hurdle specialists usually competed in one event only. In an earlier era, Paavo Nurmi (Finland) had the highest combined Olympic Games/WR score across a range of distances. Athletes who successfully competed over physiologically and tactically similar events (“doubles”), such as Bolt and Kipyegon, had a greater opportunity to become the GOAT. An increase in global competition since 1972 meant greater opportunities for winning medals, especially for women. This study provides a foundation on which future performances could be evaluated.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne zoonosis of significant public health concern, maintained in complex multihost systems shaped by ecological, climatic, and anthropogenic drivers. In the Iberian Peninsula, changing land-use patterns and biodiversity loss may be reshaping host communities in ways that alter local transmission dynamics. We conducted a landscape-scale study across 18 sites, integrating serological surveillance of wild ungulates (n = 1461; 69.4% wild boar, 30.6% red deer) with camera-trap monitoring of mammalian communities, land cover analysis, and climatic data. To capture ecological drivers at different scales, we fitted two generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs): one including all sites to identify broad landscape-level predictors of exposure, and another restricted to endemic sites to evaluate fine-scale dynamics within established transmission foci. Overall, 44.5% of sampled individuals tested positive for CCHF virus (CCHFV) antibodies, with site-level seroprevalence ranging from 1.5% to 81.4%. Across all sites, seroprevalence was positively associated with red deer abundance, underscoring the potential role of red deer as key amplifying host, forest cover, and precipitation seasonality, while small ruminant presence was linked to reduced exposure risk. Within endemic areas, higher mammalian diversity and greater lagomorph abundance were negatively associated with exposure, whereas warmer temperatures promoted circulation. This pattern suggests that more balanced host communities can reduce the efficiency of pathogen transmission. Overall, this study highlights how community structure and environmental change jointly shape CCHFV ecology. The context-dependent nature of ecological drivers support integrated One Health strategies that conserve biodiversity, promote mixed grazing systems, and regulate wild ungulate populations to reduce CCHFV circulation in Mediterranean ecosystems undergoing socioecological transformation.
Forest fires pose a significant threat to rural areas, affecting ecosystems, property, infrastructure, and human lives. Effective post-fire management strategies are crucial for short-term ecosystem and community recovery. This study evaluated the effectiveness of three post-fire interventions in reducing soil erosion and runoff within a temperate Atlantic–transition climate, focusing on a shrubland hillslope near organic vineyards in Corullón, NW Spain, after a moderate-severity fire. The research aimed to (i) compare the effects of plowing, straw mulching, and no intervention (control) on post-fire soil recovery, and (ii) assess the cost-effectiveness and environmental impacts of these treatments. Ten experimental plots were randomly assigned to plowing (n = 4), straw mulching (n = 4), or control (n = 2). Seventeen rainfall events were monitored between 15 days and six months post-fire. Results showed no significant differences in erosion or runoff reduction among treatments. Natural vegetation recovery, assessed visually, was rapid across all plots, with erosion and runoff stabilizing within two months. These findings suggest that, under the specific conditions of this temperate climate and moderate fire severity, early intervention techniques may not be necessary. The study concludes that natural regeneration can be a viable and cost-effective post-fire management strategy in regions with favorable environmental conditions for soil recovery, potentially reducing the need for intensive interventions.
