Where does selective laser trabeculoplasty stand now? A review

Background: Chronic treatment of glaucoma can present a challenge in patients who lack the means and/or the discipline to use daily glaucoma medication. We wondered if selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) could be a useful alternative. Methods: Inclusion criteria: controlled trials comparing efficacy of SLT in adult patients with any form of open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension and case reports on side effects of SLT. Two recent meta-analyses identified eight randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of SLT with medication (prostaglandin analogs) and with argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT). We took these eight RCTs as reference base and calculated their success rates where they were not given. Other articles were added to elaborate on technique and side effects. Results: Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction after SLT was 3.8-8.0 mmHg after 6 months to 1 year. Mean success rate of SLT at 6 months to 1 year is 55-82 %. Higher IOP before laser predicts a higher IOP-lowering effect. In terms of mean IOP reduction, reduction in number of medications and treatment success, the effect of SLT was found to show no clinically relevant difference from that of contemporary medication (prostaglandin analogs) and from ALT. Conclusions: The evidence indicates that SLT is an efficacious primary or adjunctive therapy for treating glaucoma

On-farm evaluation of integrated pest management of thrips and whiteflies in herb cuttings in Ethiopia : report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Integrated Pest Management reduces the use of chemicals and therewith the impact of greenhouse horticulture on the environment. It improves working conditions and enables access of Ethiopian products on the world market. In response to such concerns the Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Organization (EPHEA) has taken the initiative to develop a Code of Practice, of which Integrated Pest Management forms an integral part. The development of this Integrated Pest Management approach is supported through the Ethiopia-Netherlands Horticulture Partnership Programme

Functional agro biodiversity in Dutch arable farming: results of a three year pilot

A pilot on 400 ha of Dutch arable farms during 2004-2007 perennial grassy field margins and functional annual flower strips were created on potato and wheat fields. Monitoring information on pests and natural enemies was directly communicated to the farmers to support pest management decisions. Due to the increasing numbers of natural enemies and the gradually reducing peak densities of aphids, the farmers could refrain from insecticide applications against aphids in these crops. The pilot has yielded great public awareness on possibilities for functional agro biodiversity in arable crops

Toelatingsonderzoek restmaterialen bollenteelt voor co-vergisting

Na de teelt en afbroei van bloembolgewassen blijft vaak organisch restmateriaal over. Om in aanmerking te komen voor biogasproductie middels vergisting moet een toelatingsprocedure worden doorlopen. Een gedeelte van deze procedure, nl. het aanleveren van een dossier met antwoorden op een vragenlijst wordt in dit rapport gepresenteerd. Het betreft vragen over herkomst, productieproces, samenstelling, nutriëntenleverend vermogen, gehalten aan zware metalen, organische micro-verontreinigingen en biogasopbrengst. Ook dient ingeschat te worden of schadelijke micro-organismen op het materiaal voorkomen en welke hulpstoffen zijn gebruikt. Het onderzoek is conform de eisen van het dossier uitgevoerd voor een vijftal reststromen uit de bloembollenteelt en broei te weten reststromen lelie afkomstig van veld en broei, reststromen tulp afkomstig van veld en broei en reststromen van gladiool. Op basis van deze stromen wordt een generieke aanvraag gedaan welke zal worden beoordeeld door de Commissie Deskundigen Meststoffenwet (CDM). Uit de analyseresultaten bleek een zeer laag gehalte aan zware metalen en organische micro-verontreinigingen. De biogasopbrengst van alle reststromen lag boven de vereiste hoeveelheid. De verwachting is dat reststromen uit de bollenteelt op de positieve lijst van co-vergistingsproducten zullen worden toegelaten

Breeding and persistence of woodland birds in restoration plantings

Habitat loss and fragmentation are major influences on the distribution and composition of ecological communities, and are also linked to a loss of agricultural productivity due to ecosystem degradation. As such, there is increasing impetus for the implementation of revegetation in fragmented agricultural landscapes worldwide. Restoration plantings are often intended to provide habitat for threatened fauna and restore ecosystem health. In Australia, loss of temperate woodland habitat has caused the decline of many woodland bird species. There have been numerous studies investigating how bird community richness and abundance is influenced by restoration plantings and other woodland patches in fragmented agricultural landscapes, but this "pattern-focused" research does not provide evidence that restoration plantings can support resident populations of woodland birds. This approach limits the ability of land managers and scientists to assess whether woodland patches provide suitable habitat for woodland birds, and therefore to effectively assess whether restoration plantings are fulfilling their fundamental purpose as a conservation strategy. In this thesis, I address this knowledge gap through an empirical research project undertaken in the South-west Slopes bioregion of New South Wales, Australia. The series of papers presented in this thesis examines the research questions in increasing detail, beginning with a comprehensive literature review that places the remaining chapters in context of the broad knowledge gap (Chapter 1), then recording evidence of breeding activity (Chapter 2), monitoring nest success and daily nest survival (Chapter 3), and examining the home ranges and annual survival of individually tagged woodland birds (Chapter 4). These papers collectively represent a detailed study of the responses of woodland birds to box-gum grassy woodland restoration plantings in a fragmented agricultural landscape. I offer management implications of each chapter's key findings in the relevant discussion sections, and conclude the thesis with a synthesis of applications and directions for future research on the topic