Spinal pain: Current understanding, trends, and the future of care

© 2015 Trainor et al. This commissioned review paper offers a summary of our current understanding of nonmalignant spinal pain, particularly persistent pain. Spinal pain can be a complex problem, requiring management that addresses both the physical and psychosocial components of the pain experience. We propose a model of care that includes the necessary components of care services that would address the multidimensional nature of spinal pain. Emerging care services that tailor care to the individual person with pain seems to achieve better outcomes and greater consumer satisfaction with care, while most likely containing costs. However, we recommend that any model of care and care framework should be developed on the basis of a multidisciplinary approach to care, with the scaffold being the principles of evidence-based practice. Importantly, we propose that any care services recommended in new models or frameworks be matched with available resources and services-this matching we promote as the fourth principle of evidence-based practice. Ongoing research will be necessary to offer insight into clinical outcomes of complex interventions, while practice-based research would uncover consumer needs and workforce capacity. This kind of research data is essential to inform health care policy and practice

Aquaponics: alternative types and approaches

Whilst aquaponics may be considered in the mid-stage of development, there are a number of allied, novel methods of food production that are aligning alongside aquaponics and also which can be merged with aquaponics to deliver food efficiently and productively. These technologies include algaeponics, aeroponics, aeroaquaponics, maraponics, haloponics, biofloc technology and vertical aquaponics. Although some of these systems have undergone many years of trials and research, in most cases, much more scientific research is required to understand intrinsic processes within the systems, efficiency, design aspects, etc., apart from the capacity, capabilities and benefits of conjoining these systems with aquaponics

Low genetic differentiation in a sedentary bird: house sparrow population genetics in a contiguous landscape

The house sparrow Passer domesticus has been declining in abundance in many localities, including Finland. We studied the genetic diversity and differentiation of the house sparrow populations across Finland in the 1980s, at the onset of the species' decline in abundance. We genotyped 472 adult males (the less dispersive sex) from 13 locations in Finland (covering a range of 400 × 800 km) and one in Sweden (Stockholm) for 13 polymorphic microsatellite markers. Our analysis of Finnish ringing records showed that natal dispersal distances are limited (90% <16 km), which confirmed earlier finding from other countries. The Finnish populations were panmictic, and genetically very homogeneous and the limited dispersal was sufficiently large to maintain their connectivity. However, all Finnish populations differed significantly from the Stockholm population, even though direct geographical distance to it was often smaller than among Finnish populations. Hence, the open sea between Finland and Sweden appears to form a dispersal barrier for this species, whereas dispersal is much less constrained across the Finnish mainland (which lacks geographical barriers). Our findings provide a benchmark for conservation biologists and emphasize the influence of landscape structure on gene flow