Brazilian soybeans as feed for livestock in Europe: an insight into the nitrogen flows.

Given the agricultural demand to supply animals with food, the scope of today's soybean production and international trade can influence the nitrogen cycle. Rather than using soybeans from within the region of animal production, animal producers import nutritional supplements from distant growers. This widely opens the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen, which reduces local recycling and increases carriage of reactive nitrogen via the supply chain. Ultimately, this potentiates the effects of a "nitrogen cascade" process. This study estimates nitrogen flows for Brazilian soybean transported to feed European livestock and attempts to quantify the understanding of how this flow can impact the nitrogen cascade effect. The hypothesis is that the growing trade of Brazilian soybean products is sufficient to spike reactive nitrogen production that can potentially cause distant environmental impacts of the nitrogen cascade. In this respect, the estimation of the nitrogen flows was evaluated using material flow analysis, and the cascade effect was quantified by means of a nitrogen cascade indicator (NCI). Notably, NCI can calculate the released amount of nitrogen in the environment along the entire supply chain of livestock products. NCI-based evaluation of Brazilian soybean products consumed by European livestock indicated the accumulation of nitrogen levels. There was also an increase in nitrogen flows in the Brazilian phase (0.058 Gg in 2007 to 139.86 Gg in 2019 for soybean meal; 584.28 Gg in 2007 to 309.78 Gg in 2019 for soybeans) accompanying a stability in European livestock production. This highlights the necessity for adjustments in nitrogen circularity between all levels of food production and improved strategies of more localised feed autonomy for sustainable global development. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10113-023-02034-1.

Efecto cascada en el anciano como consecuencia de la polifarmacia / Cascade effect in the elderly as a consequence of polypharmacy

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo, longitudinal y prospectivo de 52 senescentes con efecto cascada resultante de polimedicación, quienes formaban parte de un total de 305 con enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles, pertenecientes todos al Policlínico Universitario José Martí Pérez del municipio de Santiago de Cuba. En la investigación, desarrollada durante el bienio 2014-2015, se constató el mencionado efecto a partir de las reacciones adversas referidas por los pacientes y los síntomas predominantes que justificaron la indicación de los fármacos. El efecto cascada predominó en los ancianos con más de 3 afecciones diagnosticadas, aunque también se presentó en aquellos que padecían solo 1 o 2. En todos los casos identificados hubo más de un prescriptor para el seguimiento de los afectados

A descriptive, longitudinal and prospective study of 52 elderly with cascade effect resulting from polymedication was carried out, who were part of a total of 305 elderly with non communicable chronic diseases, belonging to José Martí Pérez University Polyclinic in Santiago de Cuba. In the investigation, developed during 2014-2015 biennium, the mentioned effect was verified starting from the adverse reactions referred by the patients and the predominant symptoms that justified the drug prescription. The cascade effect prevailed in the elderly with more than 3 diagnosed disorders, although it was also presented in those that suffered from just 1 or 2. In all the identified cases there was more than one prescriptor for the follow up of the affected patients

Tramas tróficas de peces de arrecifes en la región noroccidental de Cuba. II. Grupos funcionales

Trophic webs of reef fishes at Cuba’s NW area. II. Functional groups. A conceptual model of the food webs, mainly with fish, was built in a rocky shore of Havana City with data covering from October 2004 to February 2006. The stomach contents of the most abundant fish was complemented with the literature. We used the Relative Importance Index method to describe diets of carnivorous and omnivorous fish; and a modification of the Relative Abundance method for sponge eaters and herbivorous fish. Agglomerative numeric classification techniques were used to determine the diet’s similarity. The matrix was made using Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index. Ten functional trophic groups were formed on the basis of diet similarity. The cascade effect is evidenced in this area by the big top predator shortage and the dominance of a few low trophic level species. The regulator role of top predators is low because of over-fishing: the trophic web of this area is highly altered. Rev. Biol. Trop. 56 (3): 1391-1401. Epub 2008 September 30.

Se elaboró un modelo conceptual de la trama alimentaria en una zona del sublitoral rocoso de Ciudad de la Habana, con énfasis en los peces desde octubre del 2004 hasta febrero del 2006. Para ello se emplearon los contenidos estomacales de las especies más abundantes y la información disponible en la literatura. Para describir las dietas de las especies de peces carnívoras y omnívoras se empleó el índice de importancia relativa. Para los herbívoros y consumidores de esponjas se usó una modificación del método de abundancia relativa. Se emplearon técnicas de análisis de clasificación numérica jerárquica aglomerativa para determinar el grado de similitud en las dietas de los peces. La matriz fue construida empleando el índice de disimilitud de Bray-Curtis. El análisis de la similitud de las dietas permitió la formación de 10 grupos tróficos funcionales. La escasez de depredadores tope de gran tamaño y la dominancia de muy pocas especies de bajo nivel trófico, evidencian el efecto cascada en la zona estudiada. La trama trófica del área se encuentra muy alterada, debido a que el papel regulador de la ictiofagia está muy disminuido.