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Natural substrates used in horticultural practice quickly degrade during plant cultivation. Methods to extend their service life are sought using natural materials, the acquisition and disposal of which do not burden the natural environment. The paper presents a sustainable method for modifying the coconut fiber substrate by impregnation with a wood-based isolate activated for polymerization and the addition of biochar pellets with retention-increasing properties. The modifications applied to the substrates were shown to have an impact on some of their physical properties, which directly impacted their usefulness in the horticultural production of dessert raspberries. It was found that after a year of operation, the modified substrates showed significantly lower levels of degradation markers. The shrinkage of the impregnated substrate was ~50% lower than that of the control sample, while the substrate with the addition of biochar pellets resulted in similar shrinkage and the lowest plant root mass (25.47%). The usefulness of these substrates was also verified by measuring the physiological parameters of the plants, which determined the ability to photosynthesize and build biomass, as well as susceptibility to stress potentially caused by substrate modifications. The recorded values of these parameters indicate, in most cases, that there is no disturbance of the homeostasis of raspberry plants grown using these substrates. However, plant productivity (measured by the yield of harvested raspberry fruit) indicates that the use of impregnated coconut fiber substrate with the addition of biochar pellets allows for obtaining the highest fruit yields (fruit yield—2.43 kg plant−1). The yields obtained in combination with the extended durability of the modified substrates during operation recommend this solution for use in horticultural practice and make the production more sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following study analyzed the impact of fertilizing barley with fly ash from biomass combustion grown on two types of soil, Haplic Luvisol (HL) and Gleyic Chernozem (GC), on the properties of starch. The experiment was conducted in 2019 (A) and 2020 (B), and barley was fertilized with ash doses (D1–D6) differing in mineral content. In the tested barley starch samples, the amylose content, the clarity of the paste, and the content of selected minerals were determined. The thermodynamic characteristics of gelatinization and retrogradation were determined using the DSC method. Pasting characteristics, flow curves, and viscoelastic properties of starch pastes were performed. Starches differed in amylose content and paste clarity. The highest gelatinization and retrogradation enthalpy (ΔHG and ΔHR) values were recorded for samples GCD1A and HLD5B. None of the tested factors significantly affected the pasting temperature (PT), but they had a significant impact on the remaining parameters of the pasting characteristics. The average PT value of barley starches was 90.9 °C. However, GCD2A starch had the highest maximum viscosity and the highest rheological stability during heating. GCD2A paste was characterized by the highest apparent viscosity. It was shown that all pastes showed non-Newtonian flow and shear-thinning and had a predominance of elastic features over viscous ones. The resulting gels had the characteristics of weak gels. Ash from burning wood biomass is an innovative alternative to mineral fertilizers. It was shown that the use of such soil fertilization influenced the properties of barley starch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilisation with ash from biomass combustion has a positive effect on the quality of nutrients in agrifood raw materials, improving their chemical composition and bioavailability. In the experiments carried out, the protein content and the profile of free amino acids in barley flour were examined from cultivation fertilised with biomass ash at various doses. Barley flour from Haplic Luvisol soil was characterised by a significantly higher (by 13.8% on average) total protein content compared to flour obtained from grains from Gleyic Chernozem soil. The highest protein content but a low content of free amino acids were found in the grains of plants fertilised with the mineral NPK (D1). An increase in the total pool of free amino acids in flour was observed, especially in the case of Haplic Luvisol soil. On average, after fertilising, significantly more ASP, ASN, GLU, GLY, ALA, and CYS were obtained in variant D4 (1.5 t·ha−1), and there were also significantly more TAU and GABA than in the control, up by 30.2% and 23%, respectively. A beneficial effect of fertilisation on the essential amino acid content in barley flour was found, but only up to the dose of D4, when it was significantly higher than in the control and under mineral fertilising (D1), up by 23.7% and 9.2%, respectively. High ash doses reduced the content of free amino acids in the tested barley flour. This study confirmed that using an alternative method of fertilising with plant biomass ash has a beneficial effect on protein quality and nutritional value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incidentaloma is defined as an tumor diagnosed accidentally using imaging studies performed due to other indications. The aim of this paper was to describe the diagnostic and treatment problems experienced by patients with adrenal incidentaloma in a clinical practice.

Coexistence of aortic coarctation with aneurysm of subclavian artery is a uncommon situation and may require unusual treatment in patients.

Aim: The aim of our study was to assess the outcomes of stent-graft coverage of the hypogastric artery in the management of aortoiliac aneurysms with endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Material and methods: From January 2013 to March 2017, a total of 93 patients with aortoiliac aneurysms were treated with EVAR, which required occlusion of one or both of the hypogastric arteries. The patients of the Department of General, Vascular, Endocrine and Transplant Surgery were included in the study continuously and all procedures were elective. Results: A total of 93 patients with aortoiliac aneurysms required a unilateral or bilateral procedure. Six patients were excluded from our study because they did not appear at their follow-up appointments. The study included 87 patients (80 men; mean age 71.9 (7.9) years, range 54-88), of which 30 had a unilateral procedure and 57 had a bilateral procedure. In 8 procedures (5.55%, n = 7) there was a type II endoleak that resolved during follow-up and required no surgical intervention. In 10 procedures (6.94%, n = 10) there was a type IB endoleak, with 8 procedures requiring surgical re-intervention in the form of an extension. In 12 procedures (8.33%, n = 9), the hypogastric artery thrombosed. Conclusion: Coverage of the hypogastric artery by stent-graft has been proven to be a safe procedure, but there is still a risk of type II endoleak. Although 5.55% (n = 7) of the procedures in our study had a type II endoleak, none required surgical intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raspberry fruits are a valuable source of bioactive compounds. The study used the modification of the substrate (coconut fibre), consisting of the use of various organic and mineral additives, in the soilless cultivation of raspberries. The additives influenced the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds in the raspberry fruits by modifying the sorption properties and the abundance of the substrate. The influence of the additives on the content of polyphenols was determined as well as their profile (UPLC-MS), antioxidant potential (ABTS), vitamin C content, and the activity of selected enzymes that are markers of stress and resistance to abiotic factors. In the study, a significant effect of these additives was observed on the biosynthesis of polyphenols in raspberry fruit. The highest increase in the content of these compounds in relation to the control sample (substrate—100% coconut fibre), namely 37.7%, was recorded in the case of fruit produced on coconut substrate enriched with sheep wool. These fruits were also characterised by a significantly different profile of these compounds. These changes were caused by readily available ammonium nitrogen and free amino acids in the decomposition of proteins contained in the sheep wool. This was confirmed by the recorded content of chlorophyll SPAD in the plant leaves and the activity of selected enzymes, which proves a low level of stress and good condition of the plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the metal(loid)s phytoextraction potential of trees: Betula pendula Roth, Pinus sylvestris L. and the shrub Salix viminalis L. Plants of different ages were selected from a post-industrial area with an unusually high content of calcium (Ca) and trace elements in the soil. The content of 39 metal(loid)s in trees and shrub organs and physicochemical soil parameters were determined. A comparison of these species with control plants was also an object of the study. The polluted soil was characterized by worse physicochemical conditions and a much higher content of almost all the analyzed elements in comparison with the control. The older the plants, the greater their total biomass, with the control plant biomass being significantly greater in each case for all treated plants. According to the total content of all determined elements jointly, the most enriched was the oldest, a 7-year-old specimen of S. viminalis. The obtained results suggest that the high Ca concentration and the alkaline reaction (8.83) of polluted soil limit the uptake of most elements by tested plants. It can be concluded that despite the reduction of biomass, this limitation allows plants to better adapt and survive under challenging conditions. Excessive concentration of elements, even nutrients such as Ca, may act as an inhibitory factor for the uptake of other elements. Moreover, phytoextraction ability may significantly vary in different woody plant species and ages, which is an essential practical aspect in dendroremediation application. That is probably the first study to date of trees and shrubs differing in age and growing on post-industrial soil contaminated with calcium (Ca) and selected toxic metals/metalloids. The obtained results show that an alkaline reaction (less than 9) of soil and an unusually high Ca concentration may help the studied tree species to adapt/survive in unfavorable habitat conditions (high concentration of toxic elements). The efficiency of phytoextraction of toxic elements was so high that, especially for forest animals (roe-deer) that consume, e.g., willow shoots, it could pose a serious threat to health and life, both for them and potentially for humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]