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Noemi Burguera-Giménez,1– 3 Santiago García-Lázaro,2 Enrique España-Gregori,4,5 Roberto Gallego-Pinazo,6 Neus Burguera-Giménez,2 Manuel Rodríguez-Vallejo,3 Gowtham Jonna1 1Ophthalmology Department, Retina Research Center, Austin, Texas, USA; 2Optometry Department, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; 3Ophthalmology Department, Qvision, Hospital Vithas Virgen Del Mar, Almeria, Spain; 4Ophthalmology Department, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain; 5Surgery Department, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain; 6Ophthalmology Department, Oftalvist, IMED Hospital, Valencia, SpainCorrespondence: Gowtham Jonna Tel +1512 454 – 5851Email g_jonna@hotmail.comPurpose: To comprehensively evaluate visual function in eyes with geographic atrophy (GA) as compared to normal eyes.Patients and Methods: Sixty-three eyes from 63 patients ≥ 50 years old were recruited for this observational study; 31 were identified as normal macular health eyes and 32 with GA. Visual function was tested with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), low luminance visual acuity (LLVA), low luminance deficit (LLD), reading speed, macular integrity microperimetry, fixation stability, and contrast sensitivity function (CSF). Anatomic function was evaluated with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF). Quality of life and vision were assessed with the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire-25 (NEI VFQ-25).Results: Visual function and quality of life are reduced in patients with GA. Moderate and strong correlations in the GA group were found between maximum reading speed (r = 0.787) (p˂0.01), CS spatial frequency 3 cpd (r = 0.441) (p˂0.05), CS spatial frequency 6 cpd (r = 0.524) (p˂0.01), fixation P1 (r = 0.379) (p˂0.05), macular sensitivity (r = 0.484) (p˂0.05) and atrophic area (r = − 0.689) (p˂0.01), and the VFQ-25 composite score.Conclusion: The decreased visual function is reflected in a poor quality of life in patients with GA. Reading speed, contrast sensitivity, fixation, and macular sensitivity are strongly associated with vision-related quality of life. The results suggest the importance of the reading letter size in patients with GA. Microperimetry and reading speed are useful tools to better assess visual impairment in patients with GA.Keywords: geographic atrophy, age-related macular degeneration, reading speed, visual function, quality of life

In the woodlands of Sardinia, as in many other areas of the Mediterranean region, grazing of domestic animals is still very common, though often in the absence of any sustainable management logic or technique. The present work analyzes the effects of excessive grazing pressure on a wooded pasture in the municipality of Orgosolo (Nuoro province), emphasizing the effects on the natural regeneration of the oak species (Quercus ilex and Quercus pubescens). This study has revealed the positive effects of the interaction between shrubs and seedlings of tree species. Crataegus monogyna proved to be the most efficient shrub species in favouring the establishment and growth of saplings; Rubus ulmifolius is efficient in the establishing phase but somewhat less so in the following stages. The other shrub species (Prunus spinosa, Genista pichi-sermolliana, Stachys glutinosa) play a lesser facilitating role. Despite the fact that seedlings are found in more than half (56%) of the shrub patches, the average age of the seedlings (14±0.6 yrs) and their small average size (height 24±1.4cm) lead to think that the present grazing pressure is incompatible with any concrete chance of success for their natural regeneration.