Farmland biodiversity and agricultural management on 237 farms in 13 European and two African regions

Farmland is a major land cover type in Europe and Africa and provides habitat for numerous species. The severe decline in farmland biodiversity of the last decades has been attributed to changes in farming practices, and organic and low-input farming are assumed to mitigate detrimental effects of agricultural intensification on biodiversity. Since the farm enterprise is the primary unit of agricultural decision making, management-related effects at the field scale need to be assessed at the farm level. Therefore, in this study, data were collected on habitat characteristics, vascular plant, earthworm, spider, and bee communities and on the corresponding agricultural management in 237 farms in 13 European and two African regions. In 15 environmental and agricultural homogeneous regions, 6–20 farms with the same farm type (e.g., arable crops, grassland, or specific permanent crops) were selected. If available, an equal number of organic and non-organic farms were randomly selected. Alternatively, farms were sampled along a gradient of management intensity. For all selected farms, the entire farmed area was mapped, which resulted in total in the mapping of 11 338 units attributed to 194 standardized habitat types, provided together with additional descriptors. On each farm, one site per available habitat type was randomly selected for species diversity investigations. Species were sampled on 2115 sites and identified to the species level by expert taxonomists. Species lists and abundance estimates are provided for each site and sampling date (one date for plants and earthworms, three dates for spiders and bees). In addition, farmers provided information about their management practices in face-to-face interviews following a standardized questionnaire. Farm management indicators for each farm are available (e.g., nitrogen input, pesticide applications, or energy input). Analyses revealed a positive effect of unproductive areas and a negative effect of intensive management on biodiversity. Communities of the four taxonomic groups strongly differed in their response to habitat characteristics, agricultural management, and regional circumstances. The data has potential for further insights into interactions of farmland biodiversity and agricultural management at site, farm, and regional scale

Bipolar disorder and metabolic syndrome: a clinical study in 185 patients

Abstract AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Italian patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and to determine the sociodemographic and clinical correlates of MetS in this patient population. METHODS: 185 subjects with BD I, II, NAS, cyclothymic disorder and schizoaffective disorder, bipolar subtype were included. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, lifestyle information (alcohol and smoking habits and rate of physical exercise) and comorbidity for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes were collected. Patients were assessed for MetS according to American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) criteria. RESULTS: MetS was present in 27.9% of the sample. Abdominal obesity was present in 48.9%, hypertension in 53.8%, high triglycerides in 36.6%, low HDL-C levels in 33.3% and fasting hyperglycemia in 11.5% of the sample. Of the investigated variables, age, duration of illness, rate of obesity and cardiovascular disease were higher in patients with MetS. MetS was also associated with the absence of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: MetS is highly prevalent in Italian patients with BD. Our 27.9% prevalence rate is similar to the rates reported in other European studies and lower than that in US studies. Elderly and obese patients with BD are at particularly high risk for MetS. The absence of physical exercise is also associated to MetS

OSAS-Related inflammatory mechanisms of liver injury in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is a common sleep disorder, affecting over 4% of the general population, and is associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease, independent of obesity and traditional risk factors. OSAS has been recently connected to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common chronic liver disease in the world, which can be found in 30% of the general adult population. Several studies suggest that the chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) of OSAS patients may per se trigger liver injury, inflammation, and fibrogenesis, promoting NAFLD development and the progression from steatosis to steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In NAFLD patients, liver disease may be caused by hypoxia both indirectly by promoting inflammation and insulin resistance and directly by enhancing proinflammatory cytokine production and metabolic dysregulation in liver cells. In this review, we focus on molecular mechanisms linking OSAS to NAFLD, including hypoxia inducible factor (HIF), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), YKL-40, unfolded protein response, and hypoxic adipose tissue inflammation, which all could provide novel potential therapeutic approaches for the management of NAFLD patients with OSAS

Comparison of inorganic constituents in bottom and fly residues from pelletised wood pyro-gasification

Wood biomass is a source of renewable energy and now recognized as a potential alternative for sustainable energy production. During the pyro-gasification process, the species of the mineral component of the biomass accumulate under the grate of the pyro-gasifier (bottom residue) or become volatile and are deposited as fly residue in the cyclone filters. This work analyses the constituents of the two residues produced by a pilot scale downdraft pellet fuelled system. The residues are characterised by a high carbon content and ash content of 7 % (bottom residue) and 38 % (fly residue). The Ca, Mg, Na, S, P, Si and Cu contents in the two residues are more or less comparable. Fe, Al, Cr, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cd, Mn and B are concentrated in the fly residue. Potassium is a case apart and is present in a lower concentration in the fly residue. Mass balance has revealed that certain elements succeed in passing the first filtration phase (cyclones) and are entrained in the gas which must be cleaned. Therefore, knowledge of the composition of the biomass (macro and microelements) and of the behaviour of their transformation products is important for plant design and functioning and equally important for disposal or utilisation of process by-products, e.g. as actived carbons or as fuels

Cambios dietarios y variación craneofacial en la transición económica del Valle del Río Ohio

Las cargas masticatorias que sufre el cráneo como respuesta a variaciones en la rigidez y tamaño de las partículas de la dieta son especialmente importantes, ya que han tenido un efecto directo en la evolución de la cara humana. En los últimos miles de años las técnicas de procesamiento de alimentos se han ido complejizando. El procesamiento de loa alimentos (macerados, hervidos, etc.), conjuntamente con la domesticación de vegetales han causado una significativa reducción en el estrés masticatorio. Las dietas procesadas tienden a ser menos rígidas y requieren menores fuerzas masticatorias que las no procesadas. Diferentes estudios experimentales realizados sobre diferentes especies de mamíferos, han demostrado que las respuestas a las cargas masticatorias son mayores en el plano oclusal, en la porción inferior del rostro y en las regiones asociadas a las inserciones de los músculos masetero y temporal. Estos trabajos también prueban que los animales criados bajo un estímulo de dieta blanda presentan un crecimiento craneofacial significativamente menor a los criados con dieta rígida. El objetivo de este trabajo es estimar las diferencias de grupos humanos cazadores, horticultores y agricultores del Valle del Río Ohio (USA), tanto en la forma craneofacial global como en estructuras localizadas y funcionalmente relacionadas con la mecánica masticatoria. El estudio de la forma se hizo a partir de morfogeometría geométrica, esta técnica permite evaluar cambios de forma independientemente del tamaño. Se digitalizaron 46 landmarks homólogos en tres dimensiones (3D) en cada cráneo y 23 en cada mandíbula. Los resultados confirman parcialmente las predicciones experimentales. Los resultados indican lo siguiente: la forma craneofacial de las estructuras íntimamente relacionadas con la masticación, especialmente las relativas a la inserción del músculo temporal, el arco cigomático y el paladar, son afectadas directamente por el cambio en la dieta, que presumiblemente incluye alimentos más blandos y/o procesados. Sin embargo, los resultados no respaldan la visión general de que la transición hacia agricultores es acompañada, por lo general, de un decrecimiento en la robustez o tamaño del cráneo. La única reducción en el tamaño está concentrada en la articulación témporo-mandibular.Simposio: Patrones y procesos de la diversificación morfológicaAsociación de Antropología Biológica de la República Argentin