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Direct and subsequent influence of added organic materials on changes of cadmium and copper bioavailability in soil and their accumulation in aboveground oat (Avena sativa L.) biomass was studied in a three-year experiment. Mineral NPK, poultry manure and two types of composts were used as fertilizers. The average portion of available cadmium and copper from their total content in soil in all treatments was 0.94% and 0.25%, respectively. After application of poultry manure the concentration of available Cd increased during experimental years, contrary to Cu. The Cd uptake increased proportionally with available Cd content in soil almost in all treatments during experimental years (correlation coefficient R = 0.54; P < 0.05). The Cu uptake was however different than Cd uptake, mainly in the second and third year. The lowest uptake of Cu was found in the first experimental year and was in close positive correlation with yields of dry biomass.

Fertilization with tannery materials positively influenced the soil pH and increased the content of alkaline cations in soil. After four years of investigations organic carbon content decreased most in the soil fertilized with untreated sludge, mineral salts and in the control soil. Irrespective of fertilization used and year of studies cadmium occurred mainly in most mobile fractions (mobile, exchangeable and bound to manganese oxides). Copper was mainly bound in fractions less available to plants. After four years of studies an increase in mobile copper forms was registered in all treatment soils. Lead in the soil was present mainly in the form bound to organic matter and amorphous iron oxides. Distribution of lead points to the small share of this metal in the mobile and exchangeable forms, both immediately after fertilization applied and after four years of studies. Chromium became fixed in fractions less available to plants, mainly bound to iron oxides and in residual fraction. On the other hand, an apparent effect of fertilization with materials of tannery origin on this element total forms content was registered.

The research is aimed to determine the effect of fertilization with untreated or composted tannery sludge on yielding, macroelement and chromium contents in plant biomass. The biggest yield diversification was observed in the first and second year of the experiment, whereas in the subsequent years no major differences in yields were discerned. The mechanism of diversified plant response to organic fertilizers supplied to the soil resulted from their different ability to utilize nutrients but was also due to crop succession and different tolerance of subsequent species to the amount of supplied chromium. Nitrogen contents in plants were diversified, despite supplementing its dose to an equal level in all treatments (except the control). It may be concluded that the nitrogen in the applied materials occurred mostly in organic forms and its availability depended on the mineralization rate. Phosphorus and magnesium content depended on the plant species and applied fertilization. Potassium was more available if applied in a mineral form whereas calcium and sodium contents increased significantly in the plant biomass after fertilization with tannery sludge containing materials. Chromium content in tannery materials did not affect the content of this element in the aboveground plant parts and the absorbed chromium was retained mainly in the plant root system.

The studies were carried out as a pot experiment comprised of mineral treatments with farmyard manure, slurry and liquid organomineral fertiliser (Damishum) and finally the unfertilised control. Mineral fertilisation and liquid organomineral fertiliser better affected the crop yield in comparison with organic treatments in the first year of the experiment, whereas in the subsequent two years with a consecutive affect of organic fertilisers. According to the expectations the biggest nitrogen concentrations were found in crops receiving mineral treatment and organomineral fertiliser. Phosphorus content depended on crop species and applied fertiliser. Potassium and magnesium contents immediately after treatment were the highest in the objects receiving organic treatment (farmyard manure and slurry). In the subsequent years no visible tendency in both element contents was noticed. Among the cultivated crops rape revealed the biggest amounts of cadmium in the above ground parts. Lead concentrations in the above ground parts of the cultivated crop did not reveal any diversification among the objects. Copper accumulated mainly in the crop root systems, except rape, whereas zinc concentration depended on the plant species and applied fertilisation. The treatment caused a decrease in the soil pH and an increase in hydrolytic acidity value. Mineral and organomineral fertilisation caused a pronounced decline in organic carbon content in the soil, whereas farmyard manure raised it. Similar dependencies were found for the total nitrogen concentrations. The applied treatment increased the contents of mobile forms of cadmium, lead and zinc but had no significant effect on changes of mobile copper form contents.

Sewage sludge application in agriculture is the simplest method of its management. Its content of organic and inorganic toxic components is a barrier to such management. Particular attention should be paid to the content of heavy metals whose presence in sewage sludge and later in soil poses hazard for plants, animals and people. The investigations aimed to determine the effect of vermicomposts obtained from tannery sludge on development of the root system and biomass of shoots as well as heavy metal concentrations in these organs. In the first year after the vermicomposts application their effect on the maize biomass increase was equal to the farmyard manure treatment but significantly worse than the mineral fertilization. The consecutive fertilizer effect of vermicomposts of tannery sludge ted on the increase in biomass of the shoots and roots of winter rape, sunflower and oats was comparable with the farmyard manure effect but notably better than the mineral fertilization. Heavy metal concentrations in individual plants were diversified; in the plants from vermicompost treatment they were as a rule lower than in the plants from mineral or farmyard manure treatment. Absorbed heavy metals accumulated primarily in the root systems, whereas the extremely high chromium content in vermicomposts did not cause its excessive accumulation in the cultivated plants.

The influence of long-term regular mineral fertilization on the soil environment considering the total sulphur and the sulphur balance in the habitat of the permanent mountain meadow was investigated. The experimental field (set up in 1968) is situated at Czarny Potok (20°8' E, 49°4' N) in the central part of the Polish Carpathian. With completed annual NPK fertilisation 1.8 kg S/ha was introduced into the soil. The highest sulphur amount was found in the 0-10 cm horizon and this value slightly exceeded the content considered as natural. The sulphur content in the sward from Czarny Potok was lower than the mean sulphur content calculated in Poland for grasses (0.21% S). In the case of full NPK fertilisation the amount of removed sulphur ranged from 11.4 to 14.0 kg S/ha. The mean sulphur leaching into the soil profile from surface of 1 ha can be estimated from 1.1 to 3.7 kg S/ha.

Background: We hypothesized, that endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) with the highly water specific 1940-nm wavelength laser would reduce ablation-related thrombus extension (ARTE) incidence compared to the less specific 1470-nm laser., Materials and Methods: Between February 2017 to March 2023 we identified a consecutive series of patients undergoing EVLA from the prospectively ongoing VEINOVA registry. Patients were treated with the 1940-nm or 1470-nm laser. Demographic data and outcome data were used for this retrospective analysis., Results: From a total of 3055 EVLA, 2006 procedures were performed with the1470-nm and 1049 with the 1940-nm laser. At 2-6 days follow- up visit (follow up visit 1), all ARTE occurred in 18 (0.9%) of all procedures with the 1470-nm and in 1 (0.1%) with the 1940-nm laser ( p = 0.023). DVT was similar in both groups (0.3% vs 0.2%, p = 0.784). Phlebitis occurred in 67 (3.3%) of all procedures with the 1470-nm and in 2 (0.2%; p = 0.003) with the 1940-nm laser and paresthesia in 99 (4.9%) versus 5 (0.5%; p < 0.001), respectively. At 5-6 weeks follow-up (follow up visit 2), all ARTE occurred in 27 (1.4%) of all procedures with the 1470-nm and in 4 (0.4%; p = 0.010) with the 1940-nm laser. DVT was similar in both groups (0.7% vs 0.4%; p = 0.846). Phlebitis occurred in 97 (4.8%) of all procedures with the 1470-nm and in 9 (0.9%; p < 0.001) with the 1940-nm laser and paresthesia in 194 (9.7%) versus 35 (3.3%; p < 0.001), respectively. Occlusion rate was in both groups similar (99.8% vs 99.6%)., Conclusion: EVLA using the 1940-nm laser appears to be safe with lower ARTE incidence than using the 1470-nm laser. Phlebitis and paresthesia occurred less frequent with the 1940-nm than with the 1470-nm laser, thus favoring the use of the 1940-nm laser., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Organic and inorganic soil amendments are used to increase crop yields and fertilizer efficiency, as well as to improve the physical and biological properties of soil, increase carbon sequestration, and restore contaminated and saline soils. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of various zeolite composites mixed with either lignite or leonardite on the biomass production of spring wheat and rapeseed and their root morphology. A pot experiment involved the application of the following treatments: zeolite-carbon, zeolite-vermiculite composites, both mixed with lignite or leonardite, and a control treatment with no amendments. Inorganic composites were applied in a dose of 3% and 6%. The study also included an analysis of the root morphometric parameters and aboveground biomass of spring wheat and rapeseed. The lowest productivity was observed when both crops were not enriched with fertilizers or other amendments, 24.92 g per pot and 29.83 g per pot for spring wheat and rapeseed, respectively. The application of mineral fertilizers in combination with zeolite-carbon composite gave the highest aboveground biomass of spring wheat, 110.11 g per pot. Both zeolite-carbon and zeolite-vermiculite composites modified the morphological parameters of roots, with the control treatment showing the lowest root length and dry matter. Although mineral fertilization was found to have a positive impact root development in relation to untreated control, the treatment amended with zeolite-carbon composite and leonardite exhibited the highest root length and biomass of spring wheat. No other soil amendments improved the properties of rapeseed roots., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Diatomite has recently been the subject of intensive scientific research aimed at its extensive use in industry, breeding and agriculture. The only active diatomite mine is in Jawornik Ruski, in the Podkarpacie region of Poland. Chemical pollution in the environment, including that from heavy metals, poses a threat to living organisms. Reducing the mobility of heavy metals in the environment through the use of diatomite (DT) has recently gained much interest. More effective immobilisation of heavy metals in the environment with DT, mainly through the modification of its physical and chemical properties by various methods, should be applied. The aim of this research was to develop a simple and inexpensive material showing more favourable chemical and physical properties compared with unenriched DT in terms of metal immobilisation. Diatomite (DT), after calcination, was used in the study, considering three grain fractions, i.e., 0-1 mm (DT1); 0-0.5 mm (DT2) and 5-100 µm (DT3). Biochar (BC), dolomite (DL) and bentonite (BN) were used as additives. The proportion of DTs in the mixtures amounted to 75%, and of the additive, 25%. The use of unenriched DTs after calcination poses the risk of releasing heavy metals into the environment. Enrichment of the DTs with BC and DL resulted in a reduction or absence of Cd, Zn, Pb and Ni in aqueous extracts. It was found that for the specific surface area values obtained, the additive used for the DTs was of crucial importance. The reduction in DT toxicity has been proven under the influence of various additives. The mixtures of the DTs with DL and BN had the least toxicity. The obtained results have economic importance, as the production of the best quality sorbents from locally available raw materials reduces transport costs and thus the environmental impact. In addition, the production of highly efficient sorbents reduces the consumption of critical raw materials. It is estimated that the savings from producing sorbents with the parameters described in the article can be significant in comparison with popular competitive materials of other origins.

The addition of functionalized materials (biochar, zeolite, and diatomite) and lyophilized metabolic products of Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus subtilis to composted biomass may bring many technological and environmental benefits. In this study, we verify the effects of biochar, zeolite Na-P1 (Na 6 Si 10 Al 6 O 32 ·12 H 2 O), diatomite (SiO 2&#95; nH 2 O), and bacterial metabolites on the composting of biomass prepared from poultry litter, corn straw, grass, leonardite, and brown coal. The experimental design included the following treatments: C-biomass without the addition of functionalized materials and bacterial metabolites, CB-biomass with the addition of biochar, CBM-biomass with the addition of biochar and bacterial metabolites, CZ-biomass with the addition of zeolite, CZM-biomass with the addition of zeolite and bacterial metabolites, CD-biomass with the addition of diatomite, and CDM-biomass with the addition of diatomite and bacterial metabolites. Composts were analyzed for enzymatic and respiratory activities, mobility of heavy metals, and the presence of parasites. The results of this study revealed that, among the analyzed functionalized materials, the addition of diatomite to the composted biomass (CD and CDM) resulted in the most effective immobilization of Cd, Zn, Pb, and Cu. Zinc immobilization factors (IFHM) for diatomite-amended composts averaged 30%. For copper, each functionalized material was found to enhance mobilization of the element in bioavailable forms; similar observations were made for lead, except for the compost to which biochar and bacterial metabolites were added (CBM). The determined values of biochemical indicators proved the different effects of the applied functionalized materials and bacterial metabolites on the microbial communities colonizing individual composts. The dehydrogenase activity (DhA) was lower in all combinations as compared with the control, indicating an intensification of the rate of processes in the studied composts. The highest basal respiration (BR) and substrate-induced respiration (SIR) activities were determined in composts with the addition of bacterial metabolites (CBM, CZM, and CDM). The addition of functionalized materials completely inactivated Eimeria sp. in all combinations. In the case of Capillaria sp., complete inactivation was recorded for the combination with zeolite as well as biochar and diatomite without bacterial metabolites (CB, CZ, and CD).

Objectives: To examine the temporal patterns of patient characteristics, treatments used and outcomes associated with COVID-19 in patients who were hospitalised for the disease between January and 15 November 2020., Design: Observational cohort study., Setting: COVID-19 subset of the Optum deidentified electronic health records, including more than 1.8 million patients from across the USA., Participants: There were 51 510 hospitalised patients who met the COVID-19 definition, with 37 617 in the laboratory positive cohort and 13 893 in the clinical cohort., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: Incident acute clinical outcomes, including in-hospital all-cause mortality., Results: Respectively, 48% and 49% of the laboratory positive and clinical cohorts were women. The 50- 65 age group was the median age group for both cohorts. The use of antivirals and dexamethasone increased over time, fivefold and twofold, respectively, while the use of hydroxychloroquine declined by 98%. Among adult patients in the laboratory positive cohort, absolute age/sex standardised incidence proportion for in-hospital death changed by -0.036 per month (95% CI -0.042 to -0.031) from March to June 2020, but remained fairly flat from June to November, 2020 (0.001 (95% CI -0.001 to 0.003), 17.5% (660 deaths /3986 persons) in March and 10.2% (580/5137) in October); in the clinical cohort, the corresponding changes were -0.024 (95% CI -0.032 to -0.015) and 0.011 (95% CI 0.007 0.014), respectively (14.8% (175/1252) in March, 15.3% (189/1203) in October). Declines in the cumulative incidence of most acute clinical outcomes were observed in the laboratory positive cohort, but not for the clinical cohort., Conclusion: The incidence of adverse clinical outcomes remains high among COVID-19 patients with clinical diagnosis only. Patients with COVID-19 entering the hospital are at elevated risk of adverse outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JHP, AAL, CBrooks, JZ, CBennett, BDB, MB, CAB, PC, AC, CWC, KG, FH, JM, JP and KAR are employees and stockholders of Amgen. JMS reports consulting for Amgen and owns stock in Amgen. OA, S-CC, GD, KG, HK, KR, LS, LW, PY and LZ are employees and stockholders in Takeda, Pharmaceutical Company Limited. YB, JJ, QX, ZW and JZ are employees and stockholders in Bristol-Myers Squibb. KBC, an employee of Moderna, was formerly an employee of Amgen and owns stock in Amgen. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Takeda, AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim and UCB Bioscience (UCB) have collaborative agreements with the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which provides salary support to MJ-F and MJ-F is a member of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) for a postapproval safety study funded by GSK. All compensation for services provided on the SSC is invoiced by and paid to UNC Chapel Hill., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to describe pre-treatment characteristics, treatment patterns, health resource use, and clinical outcomes among adults hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States (US) who initiated common treatments for COVID-19. The Optum® COVID-19 electronic health records database was used to identify patients >18 years, diagnosed with COVID-19, who were admitted to an inpatient setting and received treatments of interest for COVID-19 between September 2020 and January 2021. Patients were stratified into cohorts based on index treatment use. Patient demographics, medical history, care setting, medical procedures, subsequent treatment use, patient disposition, clinical improvement, and outcomes were summarized descriptively. Among a total of 26,192 patients identified, the most prevalent treatments initiated were dexamethasone (35.4%) and dexamethasone + remdesivir (14.9%), and dexamethasone was the most common subsequent treatment. At day 14 post-index, <10% of patients received any treatments of interest. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) patient age was 65.6 (15.6) years, and the most prevalent comorbidities included hypertension (44.8%), obesity (35.4%), and diabetes (25.7%). At the end of follow-up, patients had a mean (SD) 8.1 (6.6) inpatient days and 1.4 (4.1) days with ICU care. Oxygen supplementation, non-invasive, or invasive ventilation was required by 4.5%, 3.0%, and 3.1% of patients, respectively. At the end of follow-up, 84.2% of patients had evidence of clinical improvement, 3.1% remained hospitalized, 83.8% were discharged, 4% died in hospital, and 9.1% died after discharge. Although the majority of patients were discharged alive, no treatments appeared to alleviate the inpatient morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19. This highlights an unmet need for effective treatment options for patients hospitalized with COVID-19., Competing Interests: I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: O Ayodele, K Ren, K Gondek, and H Keenan are employees of Takeda Development Center Americas Inc. and own stock. J Zhao and J Signorovitch are employees of Analysis Group and received payments from Takeda to conduct the research. Y Bao and J Zhu are employees of Bristol Myers Squibb and hold stock or stock options at Bristol Myers Squibb. AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Takeda, and UCB Bioscience (UCB) have collaborative agreements with the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which provides salary support to Dr Jonsson Funk as Director. Dr Jonsson Funk is a member of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) for a post-approval safety study funded by GSK. All compensation for services provided on the SSC is invoiced by and paid to UNC Chapel Hill. This study was sponsored by Takeda Development Center Americas Inc.; Amgen Inc.; and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Objective: To examine age, gender, and temporal differences in baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of adult patients hospitalised with COVID-19., Design: A cohort study using deidentified electronic medical records from a Global Research Network., Setting/participants: 67 456 adult patients hospitalised with COVID-19 from the USA; 7306 from Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific between February 2020 and January 2021., Results: In the US cohort, compared with patients 18-34 years old, patients ≥65 had a greater risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (adjusted HR (aHR) 1.73, 95% CI 1.58 to 1.90), acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)/respiratory failure (aHR 1.86, 95% CI 1.76 to 1.96), invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV, aHR 1.93, 95% CI, 1.73 to 2.15), and all-cause mortality (aHR 5.6, 95% CI 4.36 to 7.18). Men appeared to be at a greater risk for ICU admission (aHR 1.34, 95% CI 1.29 to 1.39), ARDS/respiratory failure (aHR 1.24, 95% CI1.21 to 1.27), IMV (aHR 1.38, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.45), and all-cause mortality (aHR 1.16, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.24) compared with women. Moreover, we observed a greater risk of adverse outcomes during the early pandemic (ie, February-April 2020) compared with later periods. In the ex-US cohort, the age and gender trends were similar; for the temporal trend, the highest proportion of patients with all-cause mortality were also in February-April 2020; however, the highest percentages of patients with IMV and ARDS/respiratory failure were in August-October 2020 followed by February-April 2020., Conclusions: This study provided valuable information on the temporal trends of characteristics and outcomes of hospitalised adult COVID-19 patients in both USA and ex-USA. It also described the population at a potentially greater risk for worse clinical outcomes by identifying the age and gender differences. Together, the information could inform the prevention and treatment strategies of COVID-19. Furthermore, it can be used to raise public awareness of COVID-19's impact on vulnerable populations., Competing Interests: Competing interests: YB, XC, JJ, QX, MS, ZW and JZ are employees of Bristol Myers Squibb and hold stock or stock options at Bristol Myers Squibb. BDB, CB, CAB, AC, CWC, AAL, JM, JZ are employees and stockholders of Amgen. OA, GD, VG, KG, HAK, SM, KR, LS, PY and LZ are employees and stockholders in Takeda, Pharmaceutical Company Limited. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Takeda, AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim and UCB Bioscience (UCB) have collaborative agreements with the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology, Department of Epidemiology and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which provides salary support to MJ-F as Director. MJ-F is a member of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) for a postapproval safety study funded by GSK. All compensation for services provided on the SSC is invoiced by and paid to UNC Chapel Hill., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Thermal biomass transformation products are considered to be one of the best materials for improving soil properties. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of charcoal after cavitation on the chemical and biochemical properties of soil. The study was carried out with a 10% aqueous charcoal mixture that was introduced into loamy sand and clay at rates of 1.76%, 3.5%, 7.0%, and 14.0%. The effect of the application of cavitated charcoal was tested on Sorghum saccharatum (L.). Soil and plant material was collected to determine chemical and biochemical properties. The application of cavitated charcoal reduced the acidification of both soils. The highest rate (14.0%) of cavitated charcoal increased the content of soil total carbon (C Tot ) by 197% in the loamy sand compared to C Tot in the control treatments, 19% for clay soil, respectively. The application of cavitated charcoal did not significantly change the total content of heavy metals. Regardless of the element and the soil used, the application of cavitated charcoal reduced the content of the CaCl 2 -extracted forms of heavy metals. Following the application of cavitated charcoal, the loamy sand soil presented an even lower content of the most mobile forms of the studied elements. It should also be noted that regardless of the soil texture, mobile forms of the elements decreased with the increased cavitated charcoal rate. The results of dehydrogenase and urease activity indicated the low metabolic activity of the microbial population in the soils, especially with the relatively high rates (7.0% and 14.0%) of cavitated charcoal. However, the cavitated charcoal used in the study showed a significant, positive effect on the amount of biomass S. saccharatum (L.), and its application significantly reduced the heavy metal content in the biomass of S. saccharatum (L.).

Biochar and zeolite are widely used in the remediation of soil contaminated with toxic heavy metals. However, the interaction of these amendments and their effects on grass productivity have not been comprehensively summarized. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological effects of zeolite and biochar used as soil amendments in the process of remediating soil contaminated with Cd, Pb and Zn. In a pot experiment, the following treatments were applied: zeolite, biochars produced at temperatures of 350 °C and 550 °C, mixtures of biochars and zeolite, and a control treatment without any amendments. The soil amendments were tested on two grass species: tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.). The root morphometric parameters and aboveground production were determined in 2017 and 2018.Higher biomass production was observed in the tested grasses in the treatments with zeolite alone (0.229 kg DM m -2 ) or mixed with the biochars (0.239 kg DM m -2 ) than in control treatment (0.029 kg DM m -2 ). Zeolite used in contaminated soil significantly affected root biomass and root morphology parameters. Zeolite application resulted in significantly higher root biomass (2.30 mg cm -3 ) and root length (76.61 cm cm -3 ) than those in the treatments without zeolite (0.29 mg cm -3 and 6.90 cm cm -3 ). Biochar as a soil amendment did not affect most root morphometric parameters. The application of biochars only slightly reduced the root diameter of cocksfoot. The root diameter of tall fescue was similar in all treatments (0.075 mm) except the control (0.063 mm) and biochar 550 treatments (0.067 mm), in which slightly thinner roots were observed.

Knowledge on the fraction of trace elements in the bottom sediments is a key to understand their mobility and ecotoxicological impact. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of the content of organic matter fractions on the mobility and ecotoxicity of trace elements in sediments from the Rybnik reservoir. The most refractory fraction of organic matter-Cnh (non-hydrolysing carbon)-dominated in the sediments. The content of organic matter fractions are arranged in the following order: Cnh (non-hydrolysing carbon) > Cfa (fulvic acid) > Cha (humic acid) > DOC (dissolved organic carbon). On the other hand, the highest value of correlation coefficients was found for different fractions of trace elements and DOC content in the bottom sediments. A higher content of TOC in the sediments significantly increased the share of elements in the potential mobile fraction and, at the same time, decreased the binding of elements in the mobile fractions. Moreover, in sediments that contain more than 100 g/kg d.m. TOC, no and medium risk of trace element release from sediments was observed. The Cu, Cd and Ni were potentially the most toxic elements for biota in the Rybnik reservoir. However, the correlation between the content of trace elements and the response of bacteria was insignificant. These results suggested that the complexation of trace elements with organic matter makes them less toxic for Vibrio fischeri. The transformation and sources of organic matter play an important role in the behaviour of trace elements in the bottom sediments of the Rybnik reservoir.

The need for organic recycling is justified in the case of poultry waste because after ensuring hygienization there is a chance of obtaining a compost with substantial fertilizer value. Organic recycling of slaughter waste has its justification in sustainable development and retardation of resources. In the research being described, composting of hydrated poultry slaughterhouse waste with maize straw was carried out. Combinations with fodder yeast and postcellulose lime were also introduced in order to modify chemical and physicochemical properties of the mixtures. The experiment was carried out within 110 days in 1.2 × 1.0 × 0.8 m laboratory reactors. Temperature of the biomass was recorded during composting, and the biomass was actively aerated through a perforated bottom. Composting of substrates selected in such a way caused losses of some elements in gaseous form, an increase in concentration of other elements, and changes in relationships between elements. The ability to select substrates influences compost quality. This ability is determined by chemical indicators. Among other things, compost evaluation based on carbon to nitrogen ratio shows the intensity of the composting process and possible nitrogen losses. The addition of slaughter waste to maize straw reduced the content of individual fractions of carbon in the composts, whereas the addition of postcellulose lime intensified that process. The addition of fodder yeast significantly increased the phosphorus content in the compost. Since iron compounds were used in the processing of poultry carcasses, composts that were based on this material had an elevated iron content. The applied postcellulose lime significantly increased the copper, zinc, chromium, nickel, and lead contents. Proper selection of substrates for composting of hydrated poultry slaughterhouse waste allows to obtain a compost with chemical properties that create favorable conditions for natural application of that compost. Addition of large quantities of postcellulose lime to the composting process leads to obtaining an organic-mineral substratum for cultivation or to obtaining an agent that improves soil properties.

The discussion letter we received was carefully reviewed by us, authors. We would like to thank Moussavi et al. for their interest and emphasis on the originality of our studies. Every substantive discussion on study results is valuable, especially when it gives a new perspective on the results obtained. We would like to note that our manuscript lacks some of the results listed by Moussavi et al., not because of our ignorance, but because of the concept of our manuscript's structure. We would like to point out that the research methods used in the published manuscript were selected based on available literature. We also want to emphasise the very diversified scientific approach to procedures for determining the availability of trace elements in soil. This approach was also noted and clearly justified in many studies. We believe that the diversity of scientists' approach to the investigated subject is a very important and creative component of science., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Compost extracts with the addition of polymers obtained from thermoplastic corn starch and polyethylene are novel organic amendments, which can be typically applied to suppress soil-borne diseases. Considering the diversity of biologically active substances, including those growth-promoting and stabilizing various pathogens contained in extracts, composts have a large potential to successfully replace the massively used pesticides. The effect of various concentrations of water compost extracts with the addition of polymers obtained from thermoplastic corn starch and polyethylene on the linear growth, biomass, and sporulation of the following polyphagous fungi was assessed under in situ and in vitro conditions: Fusarium culmorum (W.G. Smith), Fusarium graminearum Schwabe, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler. The studies revealed that the fungistatic activity was determined by the kind and concentration of compost extract added to the medium, as well as by the fungus kind. The analyzed compost extracts blocked the linear growth of the tested fungi on average by 22%, biomass increment by 51%, and sporulation by 57%. F. culmorum and S. sclerotiorum proved to be the most sensitive to the tested compost extracts. It was found that the extract from compost with the addition of polymer with the highest share of polyethylene blocked the sporulation of F. culmorum by 87% and F. graminearum by 92%. In turn, composts with the addition of polymers with the highest share of a biocomponent weakened the fungistatic activity of composts. The authors demonstrated that the addition of microbiological inoculum to one of the composts enhanced the fungistatic activity with respect to S. sclerotiorum, F. graminearum, and F. culmorum. The obtained results can be used to better understand the growth-promoting and suppression effects of compost extracts with polymer addition, help to enhance crop production, and constitute a paradigm shift towards the development of the next generation of compost with applications in a range of new fields., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Production of biochar from sewage sludge may be a promising solution for sewage sludge management and improvement of soil properties, including carbon dioxide sequestration. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of biochars derived from different sewage sludges on soil physicochemical and biological properties, ecotoxicity, and plant yield. Three biochars (produced at a temperature of 300 °C) were applied into sandy acid soil in doses of 0.5, 1, and 2% (w/w). Depending on the type and dose, the application of sewage sludge biochars into the soil caused diverse effects on the parameters of soil biological activity (microbial biomass [Cmic], soil respiration, and value of metabolic quotient). No correlation between the applied dose of biochars and inhibition of Vibrio fischeri luminescence was observed. The factor with a stronger impact on the activity of V. fischeri was the type of biochar. The use of the OSTRACODTOXKIT F test (MicroBioTests) showed that the addition of sewage sludge biochar (regardless of its dose) reduced the soil toxicity to Heterocypris incongruens compared with the control soil. A significant increase of Poa pratensis L. biomass was obtained in soils with 1 and 2% additions of each of the biochars. The addition of biochars in doses of 1 and 2% to the soil had greater effect on the content of mobile forms of Cu, Pb, and Cd than the 0.5% dose compared with the control. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1197-1207. © 2017 SETAC., (© 2017 SETAC.)

Introduction: A critical challenge in oncology is interpreting clinical trial results to inform clinical decision making. Clinical trials typically focus on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as primary endpoints, which do not reflect early signs of meaningful patient benefit or harm. Cancer symptom response (CSR) can provide information about early treatment response, and studies show that CSR predicts long-term health outcomes., Areas Covered: CSR requires careful consideration of its measurement and interpretation to facilitate integration into clinical practice. We describe considerations for the evaluation, analysis, and interpretation of CSR in clinical trials. To illustrate the potential clinical value of CSR, we performed a retrospective analysis of a three-arm randomized cooperative-group clinical trial., Expert Commentary: Evaluation of CSR provides a meaningful assessment of early cancer treatment effects. It can act as an early signal of disease progression and death and thus can identify which patients with stable disease will have a more favorable prognosis. Future research will include development of methods for more accurate assessment of CSR, reduction of the number of symptoms used as signals for disease progression or survival by tumor type, and statistical methods that effectively correct for missing data and informative censoring., Competing Interests: Financial and competing interest disclosure: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Festuca arundinacea and F. pratensis are the models in forage grasses to recognize the molecular basis of drought, salt and frost tolerance, respectively. Transcription profiles of plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) and tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIPs) aquaporin genes were obtained for leaves of Festuca species treated with different abiotic stimuli. F. arundinacea plants were exposed to drought and salt stress, whereas F. pratensis plants were cold-hardened. Changes in genes expression measured with use of real time qRT-PCR method were compared between two genotypes characterized with a significantly different level of each stress tolerance. Under drought the transcript level of PIP1;2 and TIP1;1 aquaporin decreased in both analyzed F. arundinacea genotypes, whereas for PIP2;1 only in a high drought tolerant plant. A salt treatment caused a reduction of PIP1;2 transcript level in a high salt tolerant genotype and an increase of TIP1;1 transcript abundance in both F. arundinacea genotypes, but it did not influence the expression of PIP2;1 aquaporin. During cold-hardening a decrease of PIP1;2, PIP2;1, and TIP1;1 aquaporin transcripts was observed, both in high and low frost tolerant genotypes. The obtained results revealed that the selected genotypes responded in a different way to abiotic stresses application. A reduced level of PIP1;2 transcript in F. arundinacea low drought tolerant genotype corresponded with a faster water loss and a lowering of photosynthesis efficiency and gas exchange during drought conditions. In F. pratensis, cold acclimation was associated with a lower level of aquaporin transcripts in both high and low frost tolerant genotypes. This is the first report on aquaporin transcriptional profiling under abiotic stress condition in forage grasses.