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Infectious diseases, which often result in deadly sepsis or septic shock, represent a major global health problem. For understanding the pathophysiology of sepsis and developing new treatment strategies, reliable and clinically relevant animal models of the disease are necessary. In this review, two large animal (porcine) models of sepsis induced by either peritonitis or bacteremia are introduced and their strong and weak points are discussed in the context of clinical relevance and other animal models of sepsis, with a special focus on cardiovascular and immune systems, experimental design, and monitoring. Especially for testing new therapeutic strategies, the large animal (porcine) models represent a more clinically relevant alternative to small animal models, and the findings obtained in small animal (transgenic) models should be verified in these clinically relevant large animal models before translation to the clinical level.

Abstract Objectives The use of hemoadsorption (HA) has become popular in the treatment of vasoplegic states associated with massive cytokine release, including septic shock. However, this approach does not seem to be based on robust evidence, and it does not follow international guidelines. To understand the pathophysiological rationale and timing of HA, we conducted a large animal septic shock experiment. Design Prospective randomized large-animal peritoneal septic shock experiment. Setting Laboratory investigation. Subjects Twenty-six anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and instrumented pigs randomly assigned into (1) sham-operated group with HA (SHAM, n = 5); (2) sepsis animals without HA (SEPSIS, n = 5); (3) sepsis group with HA at norepinephrine initiation (EARLY, n = 8); and (4) sepsis group with HA initiated at norepinephrine rate reaching 0.5 μg/kg/min (LATE, n = 8). Interventions Peritoneal sepsis was induced by cultivated autologous feces inoculation. A CytoSorb cartridge (200 g) with a blood flow rate of 200 mL/min and heparin anticoagulation was used to perform HA. The animals received sedation and intensive organ support up to 48 h or until they experienced cardiovascular collapse. Measurements and main results Systemic hemodynamics, multiple-organ functions, and immune-inflammatory response were measured at predefined periods. The HA treatment was not associated with any measurable benefit in terms of systemic hemodynamics and organ support. The systemic inflammatory markers were unaffected by any of the treatment timings. In contrast, the HA resulted in higher vasopressor load and decreased 36-h survival (5 animals in SHAM (100%), 4 (80%) in SEPSIS, 4 (57%) in EARLY, and 2 (25%) in LATE; p = 0.041). The HA exposure in healthy animals was associated with hemodynamic deterioration, systemic inflammatory response, and cytopenia. Conclusions In this large-animal-controlled fulminant sepsis study, the HA was unable to counteract the disease progression in the early or advanced septic shock phase. However, findings from the HA-exposed sham animals suggest potential safety concerns.

Abstract Aims In patients with recently diagnosed non‐ischaemic LV systolic dysfunction, left ventricular reverse remodelling (LVRR) and favourable prognosis has been documented in studies with short‐term follow‐up. The aim of our study was to assess the long‐term clinical course and stability of LVRR in these patients. Methods and results We prospectively studied 133 patients (37 women; 55 [interquartile range 46, 61] years) with recently diagnosed unexplained LV systolic dysfunction, with heart failure symptoms lasting

Abstract Biochar incorporation into soil has shown potential, in enhancing nitrogen fertilizer (N-fertilizer) efficacy and soil organic carbon content (SOC). This study addresses a critical gap in the literature by investigating the effects of biochar addition over a seven-year period (2014–2020) on inorganic N, SOC, and pH in Haplic Luvisol. The research involved a rain-fed field experiment, with a crop rotation comprising spring barley, maize, spring wheat, and pea. Biochar, applied at the rates of 0, 10, and 20 t ha−1 in 2014, was reapplied to specific plots in 2018. Biochar was also combined with N-fertilizer at three level (N0, N1, and N2). Results showed a significant interactive influence of biochar and N-fertilizer combination on NO3 − and NH4 + contents. Intriguingly, the addition of 10 t biochar ha−1 consistently decreased soil inorganic N levels across most of the examined months. Increasing biochar application rates led to a significant rise in pH, establishing a clear, negative correlation between soil pH and inorganic N content. Biochar significantly increased SOC compared to the control, particularly after the reapplication in 2018. However, this effect showed a diminishing trend over time. The study suggests that incorporating biochar treatments may enhance N-fertilizer effectiveness. However, the long-term implications of biochar application with N-fertilizer on N mineralization are specific to individual soil and biochar combinations. Except the application of 20 t ha−1 biochar at N2 in 2019, biochar did not affect the crop yields. Studied soil properties, including those influenced by biochar had nuanced impact on different aspects of crop yield. Graphical Abstract

An ever-increasing amount of microplastics enters the environment and affects soil properties and plant growth. Investigating how the interactions between microplastics and soil properties vary across different soil types is crucial. In sandy soil, the subcritical SWR induced by microplastics may affect other soil properties. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of adding three types of microplastics (high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene) at a concentration of 5% (w/w) to sandy soil on the persistence and severity of SWR, as well as on various soil properties (bulk density, water sorptivity, and hydraulic conductivity) and plant characteristics (fresh and dry weight, maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, and nutrient content) of radish (Raphanus sativus L.). It was found that microplastic contamination increased the persistence and severity of SWR and decreased soil bulk density, water sorptivity, and hydraulic conductivity. The total biomass measurements did not reveal a significant difference between the microplastic treatments and the control group. This study did not confirm any significant influence of microplastic contamination on the maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, a measure of crop photosynthesis. Even though the value of photosynthetic efficiency changed with time, the values for all treatments stabilised at the end of the experiment. Microplastic contamination did not significantly alter crops’ nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, or zinc contents. However, the copper content was reduced in all treatments, and magnesium and iron were reduced in the PVC and PS treatments compared to the control. The microplastic-induced changes in biomass or photosynthetic efficiency do not correspond to the changes in crop element concentrations.

Humic substances (HSs) constitute a primary component of soil organic matter (SOM) and play a crucial role in soil formation and fertility. However, comprehensive information regarding quantitative and qualitative changes in HS following biochar’s application to soil still needs to be improved. This study reports on the impact of biochar application at rates of 0, 10, and 20 t ha−1 (B0, B10, B20), both with and without nitrogen fertilisation at varying levels (N0, N1, N2), on SOM and HS contents throughout the cropping seasons between 2014 and 2019. The findings reveal changes in SOM and HS contents due to biochar addition and fertilisation. Notably, the most substantial increase in soil organic carbon content was observed in the B20N1 and B10N1 treatments, in stark contrast with the reference B0N0 treatment. A decrease in humification of SOM was noted across all treatments involving biochar, whether alone or combined with different N fertilisation levels. An interesting positive change in HS contents was observed in B10N2, where an increase in humic acids and a decrease in fulvic acids enhanced HS stability and improved HS quality. These findings shed light on the intricate dynamics of SOM and HSs in response to biochar application and nitrogen fertilisation over multiple vegetation seasons of crops on loamy Haplic Luvisols in Central Europe.

Abstract Animal models are essential in understanding of the mechanisms of sepsis moreover the development and the assessment of emerging therapies. In clinically relevant porcine model, however, a significant variability in the host response has been observed among animals. Thus, there is a strong demand to better understand the potential sources of this heterogeneity. In this study, we compared faecal microbiome composition of 12 animals. Three samples were collected at different time points from each animal. Bacteriome was subjected to 16S rDNA profiling. A significant difference in bacterial composition was associated with the season (p 0.3). The season batch explained 55% of the total variance in the bacteriome diversity. The season term was highly significant from the high-resolution level of the bacterial amplicon sequencing variants up to the level of phylum. The diversity of the microbiome composition could significantly influence experimental model of sepsis, and studies are warranted to demonstrate the effects of gut microbiome diversity on the host-response. If confirmed, control of the gut microbiome should become a standard part of the pre-clinical sepsis experiments.

Properly chosen soil management practices can stabilize the nutrient regime in the soil, including the mobility and bioavailability of hazardous elements. This study aimed to identify the optimal soil management practices in a productive vineyard on Rendzic Leptosol in the Nitra wine region (Slovakia). Soil samples were collected each spring from two depths, 0–30 cm, and 30–60 cm, with the following treatments: T—soil tillage, P + FYM—plowed farmyard manure, G—grass strips, G + NPK1—first-level fertilization, and G + NPK2—second-level fertilization, from 2019 to 2023. The results indicated that more pronounced changes in soil properties occurred in the 0–30 cm layer. Higher NPK rates significantly affected soil sorption capacity and decreased soil pH when compared to other treatments. While G + NPK2 showed the highest storage of total N, S, P, K, and available P and K, it exhibited the lowest levels of total and available Ca. The T treatment displayed the lowest storage of C, N, S, P, and available K. In terms of hazardous metals (Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn) none exceeded the limiting values in any of the soil management practices. However, in the 0–30 cm layer, Cu concentrations exceeded the limits set by Slovak Republic regulations in the T, P + FYM, G, G + NPK1, and G + NPK2 treatments by 62.6, 73.7, 70.2, 82.1, and 102.9 mg kg−1, respectively. Additionally, as total C increased, Cr concentration was observed to decrease with correlation (r = −0.46). Positive correlations were found between total C and Zn, as well as CaCO3 and Zn in the 0–30 layer.

Almost a quarter of a millennium after the discovery of an acidic substance in sour milk by Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele and more than 100 years after the demonstration of a tight connection between this lactic acid and tissue hypoxia in shock, we are still surrounded by false beliefs and misunderstandings regarding this fascinating molecule. Common perceptions of lactate, the conjugate base of lactic acid, as a plain waste product of anaerobic metabolism and a marker of cellular distress could not be further from the truth. Lactate is formed and utilized continuously by our cells, even under fully aerobic conditions, in large quantities, and although marked hyperlactatemia is always a red flag in our patients, not all these conditions are life-threatening and vice versa—not all critically ill patients have hyperlactatemia. Lactate also does not promote acidosis by itself; it is not toxic, nor is it a metabolic renegade. On the contrary, it has many beneficial properties, and an interpretation of hyperlactatemia might be trickier than we tend to think. The aim of this article is to debunk some of the deeply rooted myths regarding this fascinating molecule.

We calculate the spectral function of light quark flavours in 2+1 flavour vacuum QCD in the isospin-symmetric approximation. We employ spectral Dyson-Schwinger equations and compute the non-perturbative quark propagator directly in real-time, using recent spectral reconstruction results from Gaussian process regression of gluon propagator data in 2+1 flavour lattice QCD. Our results feature a pole-like peak structure at time-like momenta larger than the propagator's gapping scale as well as a negative scattering continuum, which we exploit assuming an analytic pole-tail split during the iterative solution. The computation is augmented with a general discussion of the impact of the quark-gluon vertex and the gluon propagator on the analytic structure of the quark propagator. In particular, we investigate under which conditions the quark propagator shows unphysical complex poles. Our results offer a wide range of applications, encompassing the ab-initio calculation of transport as well as resonance properties in QCD.

Lattice simulations along with studies in continuum QCD indicate that non-perturbative quantum fluctuations lead to an infrared regularisation of the gluon propagator in covariant gauges in the form of an effective mass-like behaviour. In the present work we propose an analytic understanding of this phenomenon in terms of gluon condensation through a dynamical version of the Higgs mechanism, leading to the emergence of color condensates. Within the functional renormalisation group approach we compute the effective potential of covariantly constant field strengths, whose non-trivial minimum is related to the color condensates. In the physical case of an SU(3) gauge group this is an octet condensate. The value of the gluon mass obtained through this procedure compares very well to lattice results and the mass gap arising from alternative dynamical scenarios.

The amendment of sandy Haplic Arenosol and clayey loam Gleyic Fluvisol with two rates of biochar derived from the slow pyrolysis of wood feedstock was evaluated under anaerobic conditions in a 63-day laboratory experiment. The rates of biochar were 15 and 30 t ha−1. Both rates of biochar were applied either with or without 90 kg ha−1 of nitrogen fertilizer (NH4NO3). Soils with no amendments were used as control treatments. Our results showed that only the incorporation of 15 t ha−1 of biochar, compared with the control treatment, led to a significant (p < 0.05) increase in volumetric water content of the sandy soil and a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the parameters of the clayey loam soil. Increasing the biochar rate from 15 to 30 t ha−1 did not result in significant changes in volumetric water content in either type of soil. In the sandy soil, CO2 emissions were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the treatments of 15 and 30 t ha−1 with N fertilizer compared with the control and N fertilizer treatment. In the clayey loam soil, the combined application of both rates of biochar with N fertilizer caused no significant increase in CO2 emissions compared with the control and N fertilizer treatment. The incorporation of 30 t ha−1 of biochar into the sandy soil contributed to a significant (p < 0.01) increase in the cumulative CO2 flux compared with the control treatment. Application of 15 and 30 t ha−1 of biochar into the clayey loam soil led, respectively, to a significant (p < 0.05) and a nonsignificant increase in the cumulative CO2 fluxes compared with the control treatment.

One of the challenges of harnessing higher productivity levels and sustainability of agriculture related to N fertilization is in expanding soil N2O emissions, which has become a serious issue in recent years. Recent studies suggest that biochar may be the solution to this problem, but there is still a knowledge gap related to biochar application rates and its reapplication in Central Europe; therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of biochar (initial application and reapplication in 2014 and 2018, respectively, at rates of 0, 10 and 20 t ha−1) combined with N-fertilizer (N0—0 kg N ha−1; N1—108 kg N ha−1 and N2—162 kg N ha−1) during the growing season of maize in 2019 (warm temperature with normal precipitation) on the changes of soil properties and N2O emissions in the silty loam, Haplic Luvisol, in the temperate climate of Slovakia. The results showed that the application and reapplication of biochar proved to be an excellent tool for increasing soil pH (in the range 7–13%), soil organic carbon—Corg (2–212%), and reducing the soil’s NH4+ (41–69%); however, there were more pronounced positive effects when biochar was combined with N-fertilizer at the higher level (N2). The same effects were found in the case of N2O emissions (reduction in the range 33–83%). Biochar applied without N-fertilizer and combined with the higher fertilizer level had a suppressive effect on N2O emissions. Biochar did not have any effect on maize yield in 2019.

Biochar may offer a substantial potential as a climate change mitigation and soil improvement agent; however, little is known about its effects in fertile soils subjected to standard agricultural practices. The aim of this short-term (60 days) lab experiment, under controlled temperature and soil moisture regimes, was to investigate the interaction between soil compaction and fertiliser and biochar addition in relatively fertile Luvisol. Three different biochar types and two soil compaction levels were investigated to describe their interactive effect on soil greenhouse gas emission (GHG). A very strong effect of soil compaction on N2O emission (+280%) and an interaction with biochar were found. The cumulative N2O emissions from the compacted soil were higher (from +70 to +371%, depending on the biochar type) than the uncompacted soil. Soil compaction resulted in a faster onset and a faster decrease of N2O production. Biochar did not affect the temporal dynamics of N2O evolution from either soil. The addition of digestate/crop biomass biochar has resulted in a significant increase in CO2 evolution both in compacted and uncompacted soils, compared to softwood from spruce (mixture of branches and wood chips) and wood pallets from softwood (spruce without bark) biochar. In the compacted soil, NH4+ availability was positively related to N2O efflux, and CO2 emission was positively correlated to both NH4+ and SOC content. An increase in GHGs as a result of an increase in NH4+ availability was seen both in compacted and uncompacted soils, while the rates of N2O emission were modified by biochar type. Our results show a strong interaction between biochar and soil conditions and a strong effect of biochar type on GHG emissions from agricultural soils.