Agroforestry can mitigate environmental problems in european agricultural deficit areas

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Dry deposition of air pollutants on trees at regional scale: A case study in the Basque Country

There is increased interest in the role of trees to reduce air pollution and thereby improve human health and well-being. This study determined the removal of air pollutants by dry deposition of trees across the Basque Country and estimated its annual economic value. A model that calculates the hourly dry deposition of NO2, O3, SO2, CO and PM10 on trees at a 1 km x 1 km resolution at a regional scale was developed. The calculated mean annual rates of removal of air pollution across various land uses were 12.9 kg O3 ha-1, 12.7 kg PM10 ha-1, 3.0 kg NO2 ha-1, 0.8 kg SO2 ha-1 and 0.2 kg CO ha-1. The results were then categorised according to land use in order to determine how much each land use category contributed to reducing air pollution and to determine to what extent trees provided pollution reduction benefits to society. Despite not being located in the areas of highest pollutions, coniferous forests, which cover 25% of the land, were calculated to absorb 21% of the air pollution. Compared to other land uses, coniferous forests were particularly effective in removing air pollution because of their high tree cover density and the duration of leaf life-span. The total economic value provided by the trees in reducing these pollutants in terms of health benefits was estimated to be 60 million yr-1 which represented around 0.09% of the Gross Domestic Product of the Basque Country in 2016. Whilst most health impacts from air pollution are in urban areas the results indicate that most air pollution is removed in rural areas. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.Silvestre García de Jalón, Jorge Curiel Yuste and Aline Chiabai acknowledge support from the Basque Government through the BERC 2018-2021 program and from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the BC3 María de Maeztu excellence accreditation ( MDM-2017-0714

Does posterior capsule opacification affect the results of diagnostic technologies to evaluate the retina and the optic disc?

The visual outcome obtained after cataract removal may progressively decline because of posterior capsular opacification (PCO). This condition can be treated by creating an opening in the posterior lens capsule by Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy. PCO optical imperfections cause several light reflection, refraction, and diffraction phenomena, which may interfere with the functional and structural tests performed in different ocular locations for the diagnosis and follow-up of ocular disease, like macular and optic nerve diseases. Some parameters measured by visual field examinations, scanning laser polarimetry, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have changed after PCO removal. Imaging quality also changes following capsulotomy. Consequently, the results of ancillary tests in pseudophakic eyes for studying ocular diseases like glaucoma or maculopathies should be correlated with other clinical examinations, for example, slit-lamp biomicroscopy or funduscopy. If PCO is clinically significant, a new baseline should be set for future comparisons following capsulotomy when using automated perimetry and scanning laser polarimetry. To perform OCT in the presence of PCO, reliable examinations (considering signal strength) apparently guarantee that measurements are not influenced by PCO

Current extent of agroforestry in Europe

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Agroforestry systems of high nature and cultural value in Europe: provision of commercial goods and other ecosystem services

Land use systems that integrate woody vegetation with livestock and/or crops and are recognised for their biodiversity and cultural importance can be termed high nature and cultural value (HNCV) agroforestry. In this review, based on the literature and stakeholder knowledge, we describe the structure, components and management practices of ten contrasting HNCV agroforestry systems distributed across five European bioclimatic regions. We also compile and categorize the ecosystem services provided by these agroforestry systems, following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services. HNCV agroforestry in Europe generally enhances biodiversity and regulating ecosystem services relative to conventional agriculture and forestry. These systems can reduce fire risk, compared to conventional forestry, and can increase carbon sequestration, moderate the microclimate, and reduce soil erosion and nutrient leaching compared to conventional agriculture. However, some of the evidence is location specific and a better geographical coverage is needed to generalize patterns at broader scales. Although some traditional practices and products have been abandoned, many of the studied systems continue to provide multiple woody and non-woody plant products and high-quality food from livestock and game. Some of the cultural value of these systems can also be captured through tourism and local events. However there remains a continual challenge for farmers, landowners and society to fully translate the positive social and environmental impacts of HNCV agroforestry into market prices for the products and services

Is the treatment with biological or non-biological DMARDS a modifier of periodontal condition in patients with rheumatoid arthritis?

Background and objective: Experimental models suggest the use of different therapy protocols in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as modulators on periodontal condition. This study evaluated the effects of conventional drug treatment and anti-TNF therapy in patients with RA on microbiological and periodontal condition, establishing the association of markers of periodontal infection with indexes of rheumatic activity. Materials and methods: One hundred seventy nine individuals with RA were evaluated (62 with anti-TNF-. and 115 with only DMARDs). The periodontal evaluation included plaque and gingival indexes, bleeding on probing (BOP), clinical attachment loss (CAL), pocket depth (PD) and subgingival plaque samples for microbiological analysis. Rheumatologic evaluations included a clinical examination, rheumatoid factor (RF), antibodies against cyclic-citrullinated peptides (ACPAs), and activity markers (DAS28-ERS), high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Results: Anti-TNF-alpha therapy influenced periodontal microbiota with a higher frequency of T. denticola (p=0.01). Methotrexate combined with leflunomide exhibited a higher extension of CAL (p=0.005), and anti-TNF-alpha therapy with methotrexate was associated with a lower extension of CAL (p=0.05). The use of corticosteroids exerted a protective effect on the number of teeth (p=0.027). The type of DMARD affected P. gingivalis, T. forsythia and E. nodatum presence. Elevated ACPAs titers were associated with the presence of red complex periodontal pathogens (p=0.025). Bleeding on probing was associated with elevated CPR levels (p=0.05), and ESR was associated with a greater PD (p=0.044) and presence of red complex (p=0.030). Conclusion: Different pharmacological treatments for RA affect the clinical condition and subgingival microbiota

Agroforestry systems of high natural and cultural value in Europe: structure, management, goods and services

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