Extracción agrícola de bases en el norte de la provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina : costo de su remediación e implicancias económicas

El lavado de nutrientes edáficos básicos, su extracción agropecuaria, la fertilización y la deposición de compuestos de N, S e H presentes en la atmósfera, entre otros, causan acidificación edáfica. La escasez y el desbalance nutricional ocasionado limita la producción vegetal. Este fenómeno se advirtió recientemente en la Región Pampeana Argentina, donde la reposición de Ca2+, Mg2+ y K+ ha sido limitada en el pasado. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar la extracción de bases causada por la agricultura en el norte de la provincia de Buenos Aires (1.684.753 ha) durante el período 1970-2003, cuantificar económicamente su remediación y analizar sus implicancias económicas. La extracción de K+, Ca2+ y Mg2+ fue estimada en 682.692, 88.443 y 155.479 Mg totales para la región, respectivamente, en el período considerado. El costo de la reposición para suelos cultivados con soja, maíz, trigo y girasol es de 414.000.000; 127.300.000; 86.200.000 y 16.000.000, representando 6,6%, 3,4%, 4,0% y 2,9% del ingreso debido a su producción. El análisis socioeconómico regional señala condiciones actuales de agravamiento de los factores predisponentes a la problemática edáfica, la potencialidad de perjuicios económicos para la región y el país, y marca la necesidad de estrategias de gestión que favorezcan la reposición de estos elementos.The leaching of basic edaphic nutrients, its farming extraction, fertilization and the N, S and H compounds deposition from the atmosphere, among others, cause edaphic acidification. The shortage and provoked nutritional unbalance limit the vegetal production. This phenomenon has recently been noticed in the Pampeana Region of Argentina, where the replacement of Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+ was limited in the past. The objective of this work has been to evaluate the extraction of bases caused by agriculture in the north of the province of Buenos Aires (1,684,753 ha) within the mentioned region (1970-2003), to quantify economically its remediation and to analyze its socioeconomic implications.Principio del formulario The extraction of K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ has been estimated in 682,692; 88,443 and 155,479 Mg for the total region, respectively, and the considered period. Replacement costs are 414.000.000; 127.300.000; 86.200.000 and 16.000.000 for fields cultivated with soybean, maize, sunflower and wheat, representing 6.6%, 3.4%, 4.0% y 2.9% of the income derived from its production. The regional socioeconomic analysis indicates present conditions worsening of the predisposing factors to the edaphic problematic situation, the potentiality of economic damages for the region and the country, and it marks the necessity of management strategies that favor the replacement of these elements

An integrated assessment framework for the analysis of multiple pressures in aquatic ecosystems and the appraisal of management options

The contribution illustrates an integrated assessment framework aimed at evaluating the relationships between multiple pressures and water body status for the purposes of river basin management. The framework includes the following steps. (1) Understanding how the different pressures affect the status of water bodies. This entails the characterization of biophysical state variables and the definition of a causal relationship between pressures and status. Therefore this step involves interaction between experts bearing ecological understanding and experts providing models to represent the effect of pressures. (2) Identifying the relevant pressures to be addressed through appropriate measures to improve the status of water bodies. (3) Evaluating reduction targets for the relevant pressures identified in a river basin, by weighting the effort associated to reducing individual pressures and the potential benefits in terms of water body status. (4) Designing management measures through a creative process and political discussion of alternative options, balancing costs, benefits and effectiveness based on engineering and economic analysis. (5) Simulating scenarios of implementation of a programme of measures in order to check their effectiveness and robustness against climate and land use change. We discuss the five steps of the assessment framework, and particularly the interaction between science and policy at the different stages. We review the assessment tools required at each step and, for setting optimal pressure reduction targets (step 3), we propose and illustrate a simplified multicriteria approach based on semi-quantitative assessment, which produces frontiers of optimal trade-offs between effort spent on measures, and achievements

The Lords of the Rent

The present paper aims at evaluating which factors affect farmland rents, measuring their relative importance through an empirical analysis based on a hedonic pricing model

The Effect of Biogas Production on Farmland Rental Prices : Empirical Evidences from Northern Italy

In the last decade, increased environmental awareness has prompted the adoption of incentives for exploiting renewable energy sources. Among these, biogas production has received a certain attention in developed countries. Nonetheless, the subsidies provided have posed the problem of an activity (the production of bioenergy) that engages in direct competition with food and feed production for limited resources, like agricultural land. Even if this competition may be softened by allocating marginal land and/or using dedicated non-agricultural crops, empirical evidence shows that biogas plants have been developed in highly-productive agricultural areas, using increasing amounts of maize silage as feedstock. Thus, studies aimed at measuring the effect of biogas production on agricultural activities are needed in order to avoid this socially undesirable outcome. The paper presents an econometric estimation of the impact of biogas plants on farmland rental values of a Northern Italian rural area. Results show that biogas has a non-linear effect on rental prices, suggesting that incentive schemes specifically accounting for plants\u2019 dimensions and technologies would improve the social sustainability of the bioenergy sector and its coexistence with agricultural activity

Studio delle determinanti del valore degli affitti agrari : potenzialità dell’uso di microdati e applicazione del metodo dei prezzi edonici

The paper aims at isolating factors affecting farmland rents and estimating their effect using hedonic pricing model. Unlike the majority or similar analysis, based on Census aggregated data or surveys, we used a sample of microdata based on land rent contracts signed in the Province of Mantova over the period 2010-2014, matched with other territorial or census databases. We focused on the effect of farmland use on rent price, estimating their implicit values, i.e. the shadow prices. The research findings may help stakeholders and researchers interested in rental market dynamics, in particular at local level. Empirically grounded and transparent information on rental market may provide a new tool for contract negotiation among owners and tenants, improving, at the same time, farmers\u2019 choice

Dark chocolate modulates platelet function with a mechanism mediated by flavan-3-ol metabolites

Cocoa is a rich source bioactive compounds, i.e., flavan-3-ols, and its consumption has been associated with several beneficial effects, such as the positive modulation of the hemostasis targeted by the platelet function. However, these phenolic compounds have a very low bioavailability and extensively undergo phase I and II metabolism, with the appearing into the bloodstream of (epi) catechin conjugates and phenyl-g-valerolactones and their conjugates, at different times. The aims of this study were to explore the effect of dark chocolate on platelet function and to investigate the relationship between this interplay and flavan-3-ol derived metabolites. Eighteen healthy male volunteers ingested 50 g of 90% cocoa chocolate within 5 minutes. Blood samples were collected immediately before chocolate ingestion (T0) and 4 hours afterwards (T1). Platelet function analyzer (PFA)-100 closure time was assessed using collagen/adenosine-50-diphosphate (COL/ADP) and collagen/epinephrine (COL/EPI) cartridges. Plasma flavan-3-ol metabolites were identified and quantified by means of liquid chromatography coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS). Results evidenced a significant increase of COL/ADP-induced PFA-100 closure time, but not COL/EPI, 4 hours after ingestion of dark chocolate. Total plasma structurally-related (epi)catechin metabolite (SREM) concentration significantly increased at T1, together with 4 out of the 6 detected metabolites. Total phenyl-g-valerolactone concentrations remained unchanged. Spearman correlations evidenced a strong correlation between COL/ADP closure time and SREMs, mainly led by (epi)catechin-sulfate isomers. These data confirm that the potential beneficial effect of dark chocolate on primary hemostasis may be mediated by flavan-3-ol circulating metabolites

Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell line, CSSi011-A (6534), from an Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient with heterozygous L145F mutation in SOD1 gene

Among the known causative genes of familial ALS, SOD1 mutation is one of the most common. It encodes for the ubiquitous detoxifying copper/zinc binding SOD1 enzyme, whose mutations selectively cause motor neuron death, although the mechanisms are not as yet clear. What is known is that mutant-mediated toxicity is not caused by loss of its detoxifying activity but by a gain-of-function. In order to better understand the pathogenic mechanisms of SOD1 mutation, a human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) line was generated from the somatic cells of a female patient carrying a missense variation in SOD1 (L145F)

Training fisico ed attivazione piastrinica in pazienti con claudicatio intermittens: effetti in condizioni di riposo e dopo induzione di ischemia.

Training is a documented effective treatment in patients affected from paripheral arterial disease. Platelet activation plays a pivoltal role in atherosclerosis progression and cardiovascular events. In ischemic heart disease, platelet activation is reduced by aerobic traning, while strenuous execise is associated with enhanced activation. Few data can be found for patients with peripheral arterial disease on training. We aimed to evaluate the effects of aerobic training on platelet activation and oxidative stress at rest and after maximal walking exercise. 18 patients with claudication were enrolled and underwent a 15 days aerobic training period (cycling and treadmill exercise under maximal walking capacity). Platelet function (PAF 100, P selectin) and oxidative stress (malondialdehyde) were analyzed at rest and after maximal treadmill test, at the beginning and at the end of the period. At the end of training absolute walking distance increased, malondialdehyde significantly decreased, P-selectin decreased and epinephrine platelet activation improved. Maximal treadmill test increased ADP platelet activation, while it decrease at the end of training. Aerobic supervised training in patients with peripheral arterial disease improves platelets aggregation, oxidative stress and platelets aggregation during ischemia. These data support and help explaining the benefit of training in atherosclerosis