Animal board invited review: Opportunities and challenges in using GWP* to report the impact of ruminant livestock on global temperature change.

Ruminant livestock is a large contributor of CH4 emissions globally. Assessing how this CH4 and other greenhouse gases (GHG) from livestock contribute to anthropogenic climate change is key to understanding their role in achieving any temperature targets. The climate impacts of livestock, as well as other sectors or products/services, are generally expressed as CO2-equivalents using 100-year Global Warming Potentials (GWP100). However, the GWP100 cannot be used to translate emission pathways of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) emissions to their temperature outcomes. A key limitation of handling long- and short-lived gases in the same manner is revealed in the context of any potential temperature stabilisation goals: to achieve this outcome, emissions of long-lived gases must decline to net-zero, but this is not the case for SLCPs. A recent alternative metric, GWP* (so-called 'GWP-star'), has been proposed to overcome these concerns. GWP* allows for simple appraisals of warming over time for emission series of different GHGs that may not be obvious if using pulse-emission metrics (i.e. GWP100). In this article, we explore some of the strengths and limitations of GWP* for reporting the contribution of ruminant livestock systems to global temperature change. A number of case studies are used to illustrate the potential use of the GWP* metric to, for example, understand the current contribution of different ruminant livestock production systems to global warming, appraise how different production systems or mitigations compare (having a temporal element), and seeing how possible emission pathways driven by changes in production, emissions intensity and gas composition show different impacts over time. We suggest that for some contexts, particularly if trying to directly infer contributions to additional warming, GWP* or similar approaches can provide important insight that would not be gained from conventional GWP100 reporting.

Registro de casos de indicación farmacéutica y derivaciones al médico utilizando la herramienta SEFAC e_XPERT / Registration of pharmaceutical indication cases and referrals to the doctor using the SEFAC e_XPERT tool

JUSTIFICACIÓN: según Foro, la Indicación Farmacéutica es un Servicio profesional farmacéutico asistencial (SPFA), en la que el farmacéutico, juega un papel fundamental en la mejora/alivio de problemas de salud autolimitados. Se deben emplear, para ello, protocolos consensuados con otros profesionales sanitarios para la derivación y emplear guías farmacológicas para el abordaje correcto de estas situaciones en Farmacia Comunitaria (FC). La plataforma SEFAC e_XPERT®. favorece la toma de decisiones en este SPFA.OBJETIVOS: cuantificar el número de Servicios de Indicación Farmacéutica (SIF) por problemas de salud consultado, así como el número de pacientes que han requerido derivación a otro profesional.METODOLOGÍA: estudio observacional, descriptivo y multicéntrico en FC realizado por alumnos de Prácticas Tuteladas (PT) de la Universidad de Alcalá, utilizando la plataforma SEFAC_eXPERT®.Se siguió el protocolo de Foro de Atención Farmacéutica en FC para realizar el servicio de indicación farmacéutica. Todos los datos registrados fueron anónimos. Para el análisis de los datos se utilizó Excel®.RESULTADOS: se han realizado 2249 casos de SIF, agrupados según síntomas: 21,1 % digestivos; 16,4 % respiratorios; 17,6 % dermatológicos; 17,8 % dolor y 27,1 % otros. Las actuaciones se han dividido si se ha indicado tratamiento farmacológico o no farmacológico, si sólo medidas higiénico-dietéticas (MHD) o ambas, siendo los síntomas más prevalentes: Ojo seco: 71 pacientes con tratamiento, 6 con MHD y 9 ambas: Insomnio: 65, 8, 8; Tos: 62, 7, 11; Dolor articular: 57, 36, 20; Síntomas catarrales: 53, 0, 1; Estreñimiento: 52, 4, 2.El número de derivaciones ha sido 430 (19 %), siendo los digestivos (132), “otros” (133) y respiratorios (121) los más numerosos. (AU)

To what extent is climate change adaptation a novel challenge for agricultural modellers?

Modelling is key to adapting agriculture to climate change (CC), facilitating evaluation of the impacts and efficacy of adaptation measures, and the design of optimal strategies. Although there are many challenges to modelling agricultural CC adaptation, it is unclear whether these are novel or, whether adaptation merely adds new motivations to old challenges. Here, qualitative analysis of modellers' views revealed three categories of challenge: Content, Use, and Capacity. Triangulation of findings with reviews of agricultural modelling and Climate Change Risk Assessment was then used to highlight challenges specific to modelling adaptation. These were refined through literature review, focussing attention on how the progressive nature of CC affects the role and impact of modelling. Specific challenges identified were: Scope of adaptations modelled, Information on future adaptation, Collaboration to tackle novel challenges, Optimisation under progressive change with thresholds, and Responsibility given the sensitivity of future outcomes to initial choices under progressive change.

Life cycle assessment of first-generation biofuels using a nitrogen crop model.

This paper presents an alternative approach to assess the impacts of biofuel production using a method integrating the simulated values of a new semi-empirical model at the crop production stage within a life cycle assessment (LCA). This new approach enabled us to capture some of the effects that climatic conditions and crop management have on soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, crop yields and other nitrogen (N) losses. This analysis considered the whole system to produce 1 MJ of biofuel (bioethanol from wheat and biodiesel from rapeseed). Non-renewable energy use, global warming potential (GWP), acidification, eutrophication and land competition are considered as potential environmental impacts. Different co-products were handled by system expansion. The aim of this study was (i) to evaluate the variability due to site-specific conditions of climate and fertiliser management of the LCA of two different products: biodiesel from rapeseed and bioethanol from wheat produced in the Basque Country (Northern Spain), and (ii) to improve the estimations of the LCA impacts due to N losses (N2O, NO3, NH3), normally estimated with unspecific emission factors (EFs), that contribute to the impact categories analysed in the LCA of biofuels at local scale. Using biodiesel and bioethanol derived from rapeseed and wheat instead of conventional diesel and gasoline, respectively, would reduce non-renewable energy dependence (-55%) and GWP (-40%), on average, but would increase eutrophication (42 times more potential). An uncertainty analysis for GWP impact showed that the variability associated with the prediction of the major contributor to global warming potential (soil N2O) can significantly affect the results from the LCA. Therefore the use of a model to account for local factors will improve the precision of the assessment and reduce the uncertainty associated with the convenience of the use of biofuels.

Manure management for greenhouse gas mitigation.

Ongoing intensification and specialisation of livestock production lead to increasing volumes of manure to be managed, which are a source of the greenhouse gases (GHGs) methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Net emissions of CH4 and N2O result from a multitude of microbial activities in the manure environment. Their relative importance depends not only on manure composition and local management practices with respect to treatment, storage and field application, but also on ambient climatic conditions. The diversity of livestock production systems, and their associated manure management, is discussed on the basis of four regional cases (Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, China and Europe) with increasing levels of intensification and priorities with respect to nutrient management and environmental regulation. GHG mitigation options for production systems based on solid and liquid manure management are then presented, and potentials for positive and negative interactions between pollutants, and between management practices, are discussed. The diversity of manure properties and environmental conditions necessitate a modelling approach for improving estimates of GHG emissions, and for predicting effects of management changes for GHG mitigation, and requirements for such a model are discussed. Finally, we briefly discuss drivers for, and barriers against, introduction of GHG mitigation measures for livestock production. There is no conflict between efforts to improve food and feed production, and efforts to reduce GHG emissions from manure management. Growth in livestock populations are projected to occur mainly in intensive production systems where, for this and other reasons, the largest potentials for GHG mitigation may be found.

Whole-farm models to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and their potential use for linking climate change mitigation and adaptation in temperate grassland ruminant-based farming systems.

The farm level is the most appropriate scale for evaluating options for mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, because the farm represents the unit at which management decisions in livestock production are made. To date, a number of whole farm modelling approaches have been developed to quantify GHG emissions and explore climate change mitigation strategies for livestock systems. This paper analyses the limitations and strengths of the different existing approaches for modelling GHG mitigation by considering basic model structures, approaches for simulating GHG emissions from various farm components and the sensitivity of GHG outputs and mitigation measures to different approaches. Potential challenges for linking existing models with the simulation of impacts and adaptation measures under climate change are explored along with a brief discussion of the effects on other ecosystem services.

Modelling the interactions between C and N farm balances and GHG emissions from confinement dairy farms in northern Spain.

There is world-wide concern for the contribution of dairy farming to global warming. However, there is still a need to improve the quantification of the C-footprint of dairy farming systems under different production systems and locations since most of the studies (e.g. at farm-scale or using LCA) have been carried out using too simplistic and generalised approaches. A modelling approach integrating existing and new sub-models has been developed and used to simulate the C and N flows and to predict the GHG burden of milk production (from the cradle to the farm gate) from 17 commercial confinement dairy farms in the Basque Country (northern Spain). We studied the relationship between their GHG emissions, and their management and economic performance. Additionally, we explored some of the effects on the GHG results of the modelling methodology choice. The GHG burden values resulting from this study (0.84-2.07 kg CO2-eq kg(-l) milk ECM), although variable, were within the range of values of existing studies. It was evidenced, however, that the methodology choice used for prediction had a large effect on the results. Methane from the rumen and manures, and N2O emissions from soils comprised most of the GHG emissions for milk production. Diet was the strongest factor explaining differences in GHG emissions from milk production. Moreover, the proportion of feed from the total cattle diet that could have directly been used to feed humans (e.g. cereals) was a good indicator to predict the C-footprint of milk. Not only were some other indicators, such as those in relation with farm N use efficiency, good proxies to estimate GHG emissions per ha or per kg milk ECM (C-footprint of milk) but they were also positively linked with farm economic performance.

Blindness in dogs with pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism: relationship with glucose, cortisol and triglyceride concentration and with ophthalmic blood flow.

Pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) shows a high morbidity and blindness is one of its complications. Compression of the optic chiasm (OC) by the hypophysis adenoma is one of the causes. Another cause could be due to vascular and metabolic alterations of the PDH. Out of a total of 70 dogs with confirmed diagnosis of PDH, 12/70 showed blindness. In only 2/12 the OC was compromised. Electroretinography in dogs without the OC being compromised showed altered A and B wave patterns. Ophthalmological Doppler showed an alteration of the blood flow only in blind dogs without OC compression. Cortisol concentrations (Co), triglycerides (Tg) and glycaemia (G) were greater in 10 dogs with non-compressive blindness vs. dogs with conserved vision. Loss of vision correlated with the increase in these variables. Blindness in dogs with PDH would be related to changes in retinal blood flow, associated to higher Co, Tg and G concentrations.

Abscesos retrofaríngeo y parafaríngeo: experiencia en hospital terciario de Sevilla durante la última década / Retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscess: experience in a tertiary-care center in Seville during the last decade

Introducción: Los abscesos retro y parafaríngeos son procesos infrecuentes aunque asociados con morbilidad significativa y potencial mortalidad. El objetivo del estudio es revisar nuestra experiencia en el manejo diagnóstico y terapéutico de los abscesos retro y parafaríngeos y comparar el resultado entre los pacientes tratados con antibioterapia exclusiva con aquellos que requirieron drenaje quirúrgico. Pacientes y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de pacientes diagnosticados de abscesos retro y parafaríngeos en nuestro hospital terciario durante el periodo 2000-2009. Resultados: Treinta y un casos fueron identificados. Diecisiete presentaron absceso retrofaríngeo, 11 abscesos parafaríngeos y 3 ambos. Encontramos un incremento de la frecuencia media anual (1,4 casos/años en el periodo 2000-2004 versus 4,8 casos/año en el periodo 2005-2009, p=0,006). La mediana de edad fue 3 años (rango 1-10). Dieciocho (58%) pacientes recibieron antibioterapia por vía oral previa al ingreso (betalactámicos 84%). La clínica de presentación fue: fiebre (93%), linfadenopatías cervicales (93%), dolor cervical (90%), tortícolis (74%), odinofagia (64%), trismus (32%), sialorrea (22%) y estridor (6%). En 13 niños se realizó drenaje quirúrgico, siendo positivo el cultivo microbiológico en 8 casos; Streptococcus pyogenes fue el germen más frecuente (n=4). Todos los pacientes recibieron antibioterapia por vía intravenosa. No hubo diferencias en la estancia hospitalaria, complicaciones o recurrencias al comparar los tratados con antibioterapia exclusiva y los tratados con cirugía. Conclusiones: La frecuencia media anual de casos se incrementó durante la segunda mitad del periodo de estudio. La mayoría de niños fueron tratados satisfactoriamente con manejo conservador. La indicación quirúrgica debe basarse en la presentación clínica y la respuesta al tratamiento antibiótico (AU)

Introduction: Retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscesses are rare but associated with significant morbidity and potential mortality. This study reviews our experience in the diagnosis and management of retro- and parapharyngeal abscesses and compares children treated conservatively with those undergoing surgical intervention. Material and methods: A retrospective analysis of children diagnosed with retro- and parapharyngeal abscess from 2000 to 2009 in our tertiary-care centre. Results: Thirty-one children were identified. There were 17 retropharyngeal abscesses and 11 parapharyngeal abscesses; 3 children suffered from both conditions. The mean annual frequency increased significantly from 1.4 cases/year during 2000-2004 to 4.8 cases/year during 2005-2009 (P=0.006). Median age was 3 years (range 1-10). A total of 18 (58%) children had received pre-admission oral antibiotics (beta-lactams in 84%). Clinical findings at presentation were: fever (93%), cervical lymphadenopathy (93%), neck pain (90%), torticollis (74%), odynophagia (64%), trismus (32%), drooling (22%) and stridor (6%). Thirteen (42%) children underwent surgical intervention, of those, microbiological culture was positive in 8 children; S. pyogenes being the most commonly isolated organism (n=4). All the patients received parenteral antibiotic therapy. There were no significant differences in the length of hospital stay, complication or recurrence rates between children treated conservatively compared to those undergoing surgical intervention. Conclusions: Retro- and parapharyngeal abscesses were increasingly observed during the 2nd part of the study period. The majority of children (58%) were treated conservatively with excellent clinical response. Indication for surgical intervention should be made based on the clinical presentation and response to antibiotic therapy (AU)

SIMS(DAIRY): a modelling framework to identify sustainable dairy farms in the UK. Framework description and test for organic systems and N fertiliser optimisation.

Multiple demands are placed on farming systems today. Society, national legislation and market forces seek what could be seen as conflicting outcomes from our agricultural systems, e.g. food quality, affordable prices, a healthy environmental, consideration of animal welfare, biodiversity etc., Many of these demands, or desirable outcomes, are interrelated, so reaching one goal may often compromise another and, importantly, pose a risk to the economic viability of the farm. SIMS(DAIRY), a farm-scale model, was used to explore this complexity for dairy farm systems. SIMS(DAIRY) integrates existing approaches to simulate the effect of interactions between farm management, climate and soil characteristics on losses of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon. The effects on farm profitability and attributes of biodiversity, milk quality, soil quality and animal welfare are also included. SIMS(DAIRY) can also be used to optimise fertiliser N. In this paper we discuss some limitations and strengths of using SIMS(DAIRY) compared to other modelling approaches and propose some potential improvements. Using the model we evaluated the sustainability of organic dairy systems compared with conventional dairy farms under non-optimised and optimised fertiliser N use. Model outputs showed for example, that organic dairy systems based on grass-clover swards and maize silage resulted in much smaller total GHG emissions per l of milk and slightly smaller losses of NO(3) leaching and NO(x) emissions per l of milk compared with the grassland/maize-based conventional systems. These differences were essentially because the conventional systems rely on indirect energy use for 'fixing' N compared with biological N fixation for the organic systems. SIMS(DAIRY) runs also showed some other potential benefits from the organic systems compared with conventional systems in terms of financial performance and soil quality and biodiversity scores. Optimisation of fertiliser N timings and rates showed a considerable scope to reduce the (GHG emissions per l milk too).

[Retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscess: experience in a tertiary-care center in Seville during the last decade]. / Abscesos retrofaríngeo y parafaríngeo: experiencia en hospital terciario de Sevilla durante la última década.

INTRODUCTION: Retropharyngeal and parapharyngeal abscesses are rare but associated with significant morbidity and potential mortality. This study reviews our experience in the diagnosis and management of retro- and parapharyngeal abscesses and compares children treated conservatively with those undergoing surgical intervention. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of children diagnosed with retro- and parapharyngeal abscess from 2000 to 2009 in our tertiary-care centre. RESULTS: Thirty-one children were identified. There were 17 retropharyngeal abscesses and 11 parapharyngeal abscesses; 3 children suffered from both conditions. The mean annual frequency increased significantly from 1.4 cases/year during 2000-2004 to 4.8 cases/year during 2005-2009 (P=.006). Median age was 3 years (range 1-10). A total of 18 (58%) children had received pre-admission oral antibiotics (beta-lactams in 84%). Clinical findings at presentation were: fever (93%), cervical lymphadenopathy (93%), neck pain (90%), torticollis (74%), odynophagia (64%), trismus (32%), drooling (22%) and stridor (6%). Thirteen (42%) children underwent surgical intervention, of those, microbiological culture was positive in 8 children; S. pyogenes being the most commonly isolated organism (n=4). All the patients received parenteral antibiotic therapy. There were no significant differences in the length of hospital stay, complication or recurrence rates between children treated conservatively compared to those undergoing surgical intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Retro- and parapharyngeal abscesses were increasingly observed during the 2(nd) part of the study period. The majority of children (58%) were treated conservatively with excellent clinical response. Indication for surgical intervention should be made based on the clinical presentation and response to antibiotic therapy.

Cost effectiveness of nitrate leaching mitigation measures for grassland livestock systems at locations in England and Wales.

As much as 60% of the nitrate in water in England is thought to derive from agriculture. Legislation aims to improve water quality by limiting nitrate concentration in surface and groundwaters to 50 mg l(-1). The UK Government responded to the requirements of the EC Nitrate Directive by delineating Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) to cover 55% of England in 2002 and increased it to 70% in 2009. In this study we assessed the cost-effectiveness of measures for implementation in livestock systems to mitigate nitrate leaching in the UK. These estimates were prepared for a range of hypothetical farms representative of typical dairy, beef and sheep farms at different locations in England and Wales and for a list of mitigation measures identified to reduce leaching. The NGAUGE and NFixCycle models were used to estimate leaching from these systems. The costs of implementation of the mitigation measures were also assessed in order to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these measures. In general, the most effective measures to reduce leaching for all systems were the ones that involved a reduction in stocking rates and grazing time, followed by those involving improvements in fertiliser and crop management. Only in the case of the dairy system was effectiveness affected by location of the farm. The costs for implementation in the sheep system were relatively low compared with beef and dairy systems. Implementation of some of the measures with high cost-effectiveness would need to be incentivised financially or with legislation due to the high costs involved.

[Prevalence of sexual dysfunction among climacteric women]. / Prevalencia de disfunción sexual en mujeres climatéricas.

BACKGROUND: The Female Sexual Function index (FSFI), is a scale designed to evaluate sexuality and diagnose the presence of sexual dysfunction in women. AIM: To apply the FSFI to climacteric women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The FSFI was applied to 370 healthy women aged between 40 and 59years old (49 +/- 6years) that accompanied patients to public health services in Santiago. RESULTS: Fifty six percent of women were married, 44% were postmenopausal, 6% used hormone replacement therapy, 67% were sexually active, and sexual dysfunction was present in 57% of them. Thirty two percent of women aged between 40 and 44 years and 65% of women aged between 55 and 59 years, had sexual dysfunction (p <0.01). In a logistic regression model, the risk of sexual dysfunction increased among women that perceive having health problems (Odds ratio (OR) 3-9; 95%o confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.1-13-8), women older than 48 years (OR 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1-3-4) and women that gave birth to two or more children (OR 1.8; 95% CI: 1.0-3-1). CONCLUSIONS: Climateric women have high prevalence of sexual dysfunction. Age is its main risk factor.

Prevalencia de disfunción sexual en mujeres climatéricas / Prevalence of sexual dysfunction among climacteric women

Background: The Female Sexual Function index (FSFI), is a scale designed to evaluate sexuality and diagnose the presence of sexual dysfunction in women. Aim: To apply the FSFI to climacteric women. Patients and methods: The FSFI was applied to 370 healthy women aged between 40 and 59years old (49 ± 6years) that accompanied patients to public health services in Santiago. Results: Fifty six percent of women were married, 44 percent were postmenopausal, 6 percent used hormone replacement therapy, 67 percent were sexually active, and sexual dysfunction was present in 57 percent of them. Thirty two percent of women aged between 40 and 44 years and 65 percent of women aged between 55 and 59 years, had sexual dysfunction (p <0.01). In a logistic regression model, the risk of sexual dysfunction increased among women that perceive having health problems (Odds ratio (OR) 3-9; 95 percento confidence intervals (95 percent CI): 1.1-13-8), women older than 48 years (OR 1.9; 95 percent CI: 1.1-3-4) and women that gave birth to two or more children (OR 1.8; 95 percent CI: 1.0-3-1). Conclusions: Climateric women have high prevalence of sexual dysfunction. Age is its main risk factor.