A regional examination of the footprint of agriculture and urban cover on stream water quality.

Freshwater systems in cold regions, including the Laurentian Great Lakes, are threatened by both eutrophication and salinization, due to excess nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and chloride (Cl) delivered in agricultural and urban runoff. However, identifying the relative contribution of urban vs. agricultural development to water quality impairment is challenging in watersheds with mixed land cover, which typify most developed regions.

Agricultural intensification leads to higher nitrate levels in Lake Ontario tributaries.

Eutrophication remains the most widespread water quality impairment globally and is commonly associated with excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs to surface waters from agricultural runoff. In southern Ontario, Canada, increases in nitrate (NO-N) concentrations as well as declines in total phosphorus (TP) concentration have been observed over the past four decades at predominantly agricultural watersheds, where major expansions in row crop production at the expense of pasture and forage have occurred. This study used a space-for-time approach to test whether 'agricultural intensification', herein defined as increases in row crop area (primarily corn-soybean-winter wheat rotation) at the expense of mixed livestock and forage/pasture, could explain increases in NO-N and declines in TP over time.

Liming legacy effects associated with the world's largest soil liming and regreening program in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.

Limestone is a common amendment used to counteract soil acidity and metal pollution. Understanding the legacy effects of a one-time soil limestone application and subsequent afforestation is needed to evaluate the long-term success of remediation efforts. In this study, soil and tree chemistry were measured across 15 limed sites that were treated and planted 14 to 37 years ago in Sudbury, Ontario, along with two untreated sites.

From trials to clinical practice: Temporal trends in the coverage of specialized allied health services for Parkinson's disease.

Background And Purpose: To determine how the coverage of specialized allied health services for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) has developed in the Netherlands since the publication of trials that demonstrated cost-effectiveness.

Methods: We used healthcare expenditure-based data on all insured individuals in the Netherlands to determine the annual proportion of patients with PD who received either specialized or generic allied health services (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language therapy) in 2 calendar years separated by a 5-year interval (2012 and 2017). Specialized allied health services were delivered through the ParkinsonNet approach, which encompassed professional training and concentration of care among specifically trained professionals.

Reducing antibiotic prescriptions for respiratory tract infections in family practice: results of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating a multifaceted peer-group-based intervention.

Irrational antibiotic use for respiratory tract infections (RTI) is a major driver of bacterial resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a multifaceted peer-group based intervention aiming to reduce RTI-related antibiotic prescriptions in family practice. This was a cluster randomized controlled trial with pre- and follow-up measurement.