Preface [Proceedings of the 25th ECA European Congress of Arachnology, 16 – 21 August 2009, Alexandroupoli, Greece]

The 25th European Congress of Arachnology was held in the city of Alexandroupolis, from 16 to 21 August 2009. It was jointly organised by the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the Democritus University of Thrace and the Natural History Museum of the University of Crete. Arachnologists from all over the world arrived to this little point at the north-eastern border of Greece to attend this meeting, the 25th in a series which started in 1972 in Strasburg. The arachnological meeting has passed through many countries of Europe, but this was the first time that has taken place in Greece. 90 participants, including 30 students, from 28 representative countries from all five continents and 17 accompanying persons attended this meeting. The scientific programme comprised 51 oral presentations and 34 posters from various thematic fields such as taxonomy and faunistics, phylogenetics, biogeography, phylogeography, physiology, behaviour, ecology and others. 18 papers were submitted for evaluation for the proceedings volume and of these, 11 were selected for publication after peer review by two referees each

Circulating cell-free DNA in breast cancer: searching for hidden information towards precision medicine

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of death between women. Mortality is significantly raised due to drug resistance and metastasis, while personalized treatment options are obstructed by the limitations of conventional biopsy follow-up. Lately, research is focusing on circulating biomarkers as minimally invasive choices for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring. Circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) is a promising liquid biopsy biomaterial of great potential as it is thought to mirror the tumor's lifespan; however, its clinical exploitation is burdened mainly by gaps in knowledge of its biology and specific characteristics. The current review aims to gather latest findings about the nature of ccfDNA and its multiple molecular and biological characteristics in breast cancer, covering basic and translational research and giving insights about its validity in a clinical setting

Increased apoptotic activity on inflammatory human placentas in spontaneous abortions during the first and second trimester of gestation: a histochemical and immunohistochemical study

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of apoptotic markers on inflammatory human placentas from spontaneous abortions during the first and second trimester of gestation and compare them to those without inflammation. Paraffin-embedded specimens from 76 placentas were investigated by conventional histology and immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against M30, Caspase 3, Caspase 8 and Caspase 9, as well as the terminal deoxynucleotidyl tranferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling method. A higher prevalence of expression of apoptotic markers (94.4%) was observed in placentas associated with chorioamnionitis in comparison with those without inflammation. Our observations confirm that apoptosis is strikingly prevalent in placentas diagnosed with histologic chorioamnionitis, while the inflammation induces cell death

One new genus and nineteen new species of ground spiders (Araneae: Gnaphosidae) from Iran, with other taxonomic considerations

One new genus, Zagrotes gen. nov., and 19 new species of ground spiders (Gnaphosidae) are described from Iran: Berinda bifurcata sp. nov. (♂, Bushehr, Khuzestan; southwestern and southern Iran), Berinda hoerwegi sp. nov. (♂♀, Fars, Ilam, Kermanshah, Kurdistan; western and southcentral Iran), Berlandina artaxerxes sp. nov. (♂ Yazd; central Iran), Cryptodrassus iranicus sp. nov. (♂, Kermanshah; western Iran), Drassodes persianus sp. nov. (♀, Kermanshah, Sistan & Baluchistan; western and southeastern Iran), Echemus caspicus sp. nov. (♀, Golestan; northern Iran), Gnaphosa qamsarica sp. nov. (♀, Isfahan; central Iran), Haplodrassus medes sp. nov. (♂, Fars; southcentral Iran), Haplodrassus qashqai sp. nov. (♂♀, Hormozgan, Khuzestan, Lorestan; southwestern to southern Iran), Marinarozelotes achaemenes sp. nov. (♀, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad; southwestern Iran), Marjanus isfahanicus sp. nov. (♀, Isfahan; central Iran), Nomisia ameretatae sp. nov. (♂, Tehran; northern Iran), Prodidomus inexpectatus sp. nov. (♂, Hormozgan; southern Iran), Scotophaeus anahita sp. nov. (♀, Isfahan; central Iran), Scotophaeus elburzensis sp. nov. (♀, Tehran, Zanjan; northwestern and northern Iran), Sosticus montanus sp. nov. (♀, Ilam; western Iran), Synaphosus martinezi sp. nov. (♂♀, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad; southwestern Iran), Zagrotes apophysalis sp. nov. (♂♀, Hormozgan, Kohgiluyeh & Boyer-Ahmad; southwestern to southern Iran) and Zelotes hyrcanus sp. nov. (♀, Mazandaran; northern Iran). These are the first records of the genera Berinda Roewer, 1928, Echemus Simon, 1878 and Marjanus Chatzaki, 2018 in Iran. Additionally, the previously unknown female of Callipelis deserticola Zamani & Marusik, 2017 is described and illustrated, and Berlandina mesopotamica Al-Khazali, 2020 is recorded in Iran for the first time. Furthermore, Berinda idae Lissner, 2016 syn. nov. (Greece, Cyprus) is synonymized with Berinda infumatus (O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1872) comb. nov. (ex. Heser Tuneva, 2004; Greece, Tanzania, Egypt, Israel, introduced to Japan).</p

Spider conservation in Europe : a review

Despite their ecological importance and diversity, spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) are underrepresented in conservation policies in comparison to other groups. We review all extant conservation tools focusing on spiders in Europe, highlighting general patterns, limitations, gaps, and future directions. We assembled a comprehensive online database reporting all available information concerning the legal protection and conservation status of 4,154 spider species. Existing international legislation has limited coverage, with only one species listed in the Bern Convention and EU Habitats Directive. At the national and subnational levels, 178 species are formally mentioned in the legislation of 19 European countries. Moreover, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) includes assessments for 301 species worldwide, 164 of these threatened and eight native to Europe. In addition, spiders are mentioned in Regional Red Lists and Red Books in 28 out of 42 European countries considered in this review. Northern and Central European countries have the highest percentage of species assessed at the regional level in Red Lists and Red Books. The Mediterranean basin has the highest spider diversities in Europe but conservation efforts are lacking, both in terms of assessments and national or subnational legislation. Among European species, Dolomedes plantarius, Argyroneta aquatica and Eresus kollari are the most frequently mentioned in European conservation measures, possibly due to their ecological traits and their strict association with declining habitats. Considering the current threats to spiders in Europe, the protection of large areas of suitable habitat should be considered as the most effective approach to spider conservation.Peer reviewe

The global spread of misinformation on spiders

In the internet era, the digital architecture that keeps us connected and informed may also amplify the spread of misinformation. This problem is gaining global attention, as evidence accumulates that misinformation may interfere with democratic processes and undermine collective responses to environmental and health crises1,2. In an increasingly polluted information ecosystem, understanding the factors underlying the generation and spread of misinformation is becoming a pressing scientific and societal challenge3. Here, we studied the global spread of (mis-)information on spiders using a high-resolution global database of online newspaper articles on spider–human interactions, covering stories of spider–human encounters and biting events published from 2010–20204. We found that 47% of articles contained errors and 43% were sensationalist. Moreover, we show that the flow of spider-related news occurs within a highly interconnected global network and provide evidence that sensationalism is a key factor underlying the spread of misinformation