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Excess nutrients cause eutrophication of freshwaters all over the world. Decision-support tools are needed to assess nutrient discharges from catchments. This paper used a 28-year nutrient-discharge, hydroclimate and land-use history of small rural catchments to calibrate a simple nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) runoff model. The N and P runoffs declined following the post-Soviet collapse of agriculture, and stabilised at low output during the 1990s and early 2000s. Introduction of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) re-intensified the agriculture and somewhat rebounded the N and P discharges. Thus, the history of the catchment represents a broad range of land-management systems. Our objective was to explain annual nutrient runoffs from small rural catchments by five factors: hydroclimate, soil type, land-use type, fertilisation and the autumn soil-nutrient stock. Our model independently predicted the eight-year mean N and P losses from a test set of small agricultural catchments in Estonia. This shows the impact of political decisions on agricultural contamination of waters. We can suggest our robust model as a decision-making tool for land-use management in small agricultural catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine plastic floating on the sea surface is an extensive environmental problem. The present study investigated the transport patterns of marine litter and areas of its accumulation in the Baltic Sea by using a hydrodynamic model coupled with a particle-tracking model. We also studied the extent of marine litter from the main polluting rivers. Mapping of marine plastic debris distribution in 2017–2018 revealed that the largest plastic accumulation area is between latitude 59° N and 61° N, which includes the Northern Baltic Proper, Archipelago Sea, and the Gulf of Finland. The floating plastic spreads from the largest plastic pollution sites River Vistula, Oder and Neman to the waters of all the countries around the Baltic Sea. • Hydrodynamic and particle-tracking coupled model revealed the transport pattern of plastic • Homogeneous and quasi-realistic simulations showed the same plastic accumulation areas. • The largest plastic accumulation area lies between the latitudes 59° N and 61° N. • Plastic particles migrated over the Baltic Sea from the biggest sources of pollution, the Vistula, Oder, and Neman rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stump removal is a novel potential source of woody biomass for renewable energy in the Nordic and Baltic countries. In Estonia, a prospective resource of Norway spruce ( Picea abies ) stumps is available for bioenergy. The main aims of the present study were to estimate the biomass and volume of harvested spruce stumps; also to evaluate nutrient and carbon loss from a site due to stump removal; and to estimate the effect of stump harvesting on soil respiration. In this pilot study an allometric model was elaborated for estimation of the biomass and volume of harvested stumps. The volume of harvested spruce stumps reached up to 130 m 3 ha −1 and potential energy content amounted to 290 MW h ha −1 . The average calorific value of different stump and root fractions varied between 19.0 and 19.3 kJ g −1 and there was no significant difference between the stump fractions. The weighted average density of the harvested spruce stumps was 430 kg m −3 . Fertile automorphic forest types were selected for this pilot study and the nitrogen (N) storage removed from clear-cuts with stumps was not appreciable, being 1.2–4.4%, in comparison with soil N storages. Removed phosphorus (P) accounted for 8–28% of total soil lactate soluble P and removed potassium (K) accounted for 6–23% of the soil K storage. The loss of carbon (C) made up 11–33% of the soil C storage. However, the concentration of lactate soluble P evidently reflected the balance between solubilized and assimilated P in the soil rather than actual P limitation. Hence, at fertile sites stump removal does not caused considerable N and C depletion, however, removal of P and K may be appreciable compared with corresponding soil storage values. Stump harvesting did not increase soil respiration intensity. Total annual soil respiration at the Oxalis site type was 4.9 and 5.1 t C ha −1 yr −1 in the uprooted and control plots, respectively. At the Myrtillus site type the respective values were lower, 3.7 and 3.9 t C ha −1 yr −1 . Also soil heterotrophic respiration in the Oxalis site type was practically the same at the uprooted and control sites, being 3.3–3.2 t C ha −1 yr −1 . However, in the Myrtillus site type the values of the heterotrophic respiration efflux was higher from the control plots than from the uprooted plot, at 2.5 and 1.8 C ha −1 yr −1 , respectively. Norway spruce stumps are a potential bioenergy resource in Estonian forests and stump harvesting at fertile autotrophic sites does not cause problems in terms of depletion of nutrients and carbon from the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 30-day prevalence of urinary tract infection (UTI) among Finnish home care clients (N = 6,887) estimated by the Resident Assessment Instrument was 4.5%, and 5.9% of the clients received antimicrobial agents, most commonly for UTI prophylaxis. Urinary catheter and female gender were the strongest factors independently associated with antimicrobial use and UTI. The Resident Assessment Instrument provides data that could be used when training home care providers and primary health care workers in the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents and UTI prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Characterisation of tree crown structure provides critical information to assess a variety of ecological conditions for multiple purposes and applications. The aim of investigation was to elucidate the influence of the alkaline soil on the formation of the crown of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). The seven sample plots (0.05ha) with 75–90-year-old spruce stands of Oxalis–Myrtillus site type were selected at different distances from a cement plant influenced over 40years by alkaline dust pollution. The studies were conducted 13years after dust pollution had practically stopped. High pH values (6.1–7.8), large concentrations of dominant dust components (Ca, Mg, K) and a lower level of N and organic matter in the upper layers of soil within about 6km from the emission source compared to the unpolluted control area 30.4km from the source (pH 3.3) were found. Disbalance in mineral composition in needles and shoots was established, deficite in N and excess in Ca and K concentrations were brought about a great differentiation in growth and biomass formation between unpolluted and polluted trees. On the most polluted area the average height of trees and living crown, the length and dry mass of shoots and needles were lower, and average life span of needles were shorter than in unpolluted area, indicating an increased defoliation rate of the crown. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Relationships between climate and radial growth of Oxalis–Myrtillus-site type Norway spruce and Scots pine stands under different cement dust loads were investigated. Dendrochronological methods were used. Long-term alkaline (pH 13.2–12.7) dust pollution emitted over 40 years from a cement plant was the reason of alkalisation (pH 7.8–8.1) and high concentrations of K, Ca and Mg in soil of affected territories. Two study sites, Kunda and Malla (2.5 and 5.0km E from the emission source), were influenced by the dust emissions of the cement plant. Two other study sites, Eru (38km W) and Revoja (34km W), were situated on a relatively unpolluted area and served as control sites. The relationships between the radial growth and climate were almost similar on the control and dust-polluted sites. The climatic variables that had a significant effect on the radial growth of Norway spruce at both control and polluted sites were the temperature and precipitation of summer months of the current and preceding years. Specific to the Scots pine stands growing under dust pollution was a significant positive impact of the current spring temperature on the radial growth. A positive effect of precipitation during winter months on the radial growth was found at all sites. A significant negative effect of cement dust on the radial growth of Scots pine stands during the period of large amounts of dust emission (1966–1991) was detected. The effect of cement dust emissions on the radial growth of Norway spruce stands was also negative but weak. The decrease in the dust emissions since 1992 improved the growth conditions at pine stand sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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Abstract: Short-term effects of different doses of wood-ash application (0.25kgm−2; 0.5kgm−2; control without treatment) on soil chemical properties, tree growth and lignin concentration was investigated in a young Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) forest stand in northern Estonia from 2000 until 2003. Changes in the soil upper horizon (30cm) showed an increase of pH and concentration of available K, Ca and P and a decrease of N after treatment. Later, from the second year after treatment, a decrease of P was found if compared to the control. The changes in the Mg concentration were very small at the beginning of the experiments, but an increase in the Mg concentration in soil was established a year after the treatment. Statistically significant stimulation of lignification in shoots was found after wood-ash treatment, but the pattern of seasonal changes in the rate of lignin concentration in needles and shoots was similar to control. It was found that the increase of Klason lignin as a result of wood-ash application correlated negatively with N and positively with K, Mg and Ca in soil. The diameter increment of pines had a negative correlation with lignin concentrations in shoots and needles. The increment of stem biomass, diameter and height was stimulated, but not significantly, by the wood-ash dose of 0.25kgm−2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Scenario planning methodology for the built environment in Britain in 2040. • To create a green information economy, we need to focus on three strategies. • Thoughtful investment in digital technology. • Prioritising decarbonisation and biodiversity in the built environment. • Governance today for a better tomorrow. We are living through a convergence of crises. In 2020, when the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic spread across the world, it brought economic instability in its wake. Sectors of the built environment (BE), among others, were hit hard by a public health crisis followed swiftly by an unprecedented economic downturn. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlighted the need for rapid and drastic action on climate change by 2030 to prevent the disastrous effects of a world warmed by more than 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels, raising the urgency of achieving the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by Member States in 2015. Even rapid decarbonisation, the report warned, would likely not be sufficient to address the intertwined problems of poverty, mass migration, politics and ecological collapse that the SDGs seek to address. Digital technology offers an opportunity to better understand and model solutions to these complex crises, but it is unclear how digital technology should be harnessed in the face of an uncertain future. Written at the beginning of this critical decade leading up to 2030, this paper looks ahead 20 years in the future to better understand the resources, technology, economy, governance, infrastructure, mobility and social factors that may shape the development of Britain's digital BE. By exploring four scenarios around the variables of i) the UK's compliance with the interconnected targets of the SDGs and ii) the size of the workforce relative to the dependent population (dependency), this paper concludes with the identification of key strategies that can lead to the sustainable development of the BE sectors, outlining a number of actions that should be combined with the path for recovery from Covid-19 and are based on digital technology and a green information economy that ensures a future better for everyone in a digital built Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adipose tissue plays an important role in a cow's ability to adapt to the metabolic demands of lactation, because of its central involvement in energy metabolism and immunity. High adiposity and adipose tissue resistance to insulin are associated with excessive lipid mobilization. We hypothesized that the response to a glucose challenge differs between cows of different body condition 21 d before and after calving and that the responses are explainable by gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). In addition, we aimed to investigate insulin resistance with gene expression in SAT and lipid mobilization around parturition. Multiparous Holstein cows were grouped according to body conditions score (BCS) 4 wk before calving, as follows: BCS ≤ 3.0 = thin (T, n = 14); BCS 3.25 to 3.5 = optimal (O, n = 14); BCS ≥ 3.75 = over-conditioned (OC, n = 14). We collected SAT on d −21 and d 21 relative to calving. A reverse-transcriptase quantitative (RT-q)PCR was used to measure gene expression related to lipid metabolism. One hour after the collection of adipose tissue, an intravenous glucose tolerance test was carried out, with administration of 0.15 g of glucose per kg of body weight (with a 40% glucose solution). Once weekly from the first week before calving to the third week after calving, a blood sample was taken. The transition to lactation was associated with intensified release of energy stored in adipose tissue, a decrease in the lipogenic genes lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2), and an increase in the lipolytic gene hormone-sensitive lipase (LIPE). On d −21, compared with T cows, OC cows had lower mRNA abundance of LPL and DGAT2 , and the latency of fatty acid response after glucose infusion was also longer (8.5 vs. 23.3 min) in OC cows. Cows with higher insulin area under the curve on d −21 had concurrently lower LPL and DGAT2 gene expression and greater concentration of fatty acids on d −7, d 7, and d 14. In conclusion, high adiposity prepartum lowers the whole-body lipid metabolism response to insulin and causes reduced expression of lipogenic genes in SAT 3 weeks before calving. In addition, more pronounced insulin release after glucose infusion on d −21 is related to higher lipid mobilization around calving, indicating an insulin-resistant state, and is associated with lower expression of lipogenic genes in SAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose uptake in tissues is mediated by insulin receptor (INSR) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). The aim of this study was to examine the effect of body condition during the dry period on adipose tissue mRNA and protein expression of INSR and GLUT4, and on the dynamics of glucose and insulin following the i.v. glucose tolerance test in Holstein cows 21 d before (d −21) and after (d 21) calving. Cows were grouped as body condition score (BCS) ≤3.0 (thin, T; n = 14), BCS = 3.25 to 3.5 (optimal, O; n = 14), and BCS ≥3.75 (overconditioned, OC; n = 14). Blood was analyzed for glucose, insulin, fatty acids, and β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations. Adipose tissue was analyzed for INSR and GLUT4 mRNA and protein concentrations. During the glucose tolerance test 0.15 g/kg of body weight glucose was infused; blood was collected at −5, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min, and analyzed for glucose and insulin. On d −21 the area under the curve (AUC) of glucose was smallest in group T (1,512 ± 33.9 mg/dL × min) and largest in group OC (1,783 ± 33.9 mg/dL × min), and different between all groups. Basal insulin on d −21 was lowest in group T (13.9 ± 2.32 µU/mL), which was different from group OC (24.9 ± 2.32 µU/mL. On d −21 the smallest AUC 5–60 of insulin in group T (5,308 ± 1,214 µU/mL × min) differed from the largest AUC in group OC (10,867 ± 1,215 µU/mL × min). Time to reach basal concentration of insulin in group OC (113 ± 14.1 min) was longer compared with group T (45 ± 14.1). The INSR mRNA abundance on d 21 was higher compared with d −21 in groups T (d −21: 3.3 ± 0.44; d 21: 5.9 ± 0.44) and O (d −21: 3.7 ± 0.45; d 21: 4.7 ± 0.45). The extent of INSR protein expression on d −21 was highest in group T (7.3 ± 0.74 ng/mL), differing from group O (4.6 ± 0.73 ng/mL), which had the lowest expression. The amount of GLUT4 protein on d −21 was lowest in group OC (1.2 ± 0.14 ng/mL), different from group O (1.8 ± 0.14 ng/mL), which had the highest amount, and from group T (1.5 ± 0.14 ng/mL). From d −21 to 21, a decrease occurred in the GLUT4 protein levels in both groups T (d −21: 1.5 ± 0.14 ng/mL; d 21: 0.8 ± 0.14 ng/mL) and O (d −21: 1.8 ± 0.14 ng/mL; d 21: 0.8 ± 0.14 ng/mL). These results demonstrate that in obese cows adipose tissue insulin resistance develops prepartum and is related to reduced GLUT4 protein synthesis. Regarding glucose metabolism, body condition did not affect adipose tissue insulin resistance postpartum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]